History & Introduction
Kunzite is the latest gemstone, first discovered in the 20th century. It was first
found in the pegmatite of Pala, California, in 1902, and is named after the famous
mineralogist George F. Kunz who discovered it. Till 1990's, this gemstone didn’t
come in the mainstream gemstone that was used only as a collector’s gemstone prior
to that time.
Kunzite is a stunning pink gem, but due to its habit of color fading in prolonged
exposure to strong light it is considered as notorious. Even though the effect of
color-fading is very slow, most people still prefer to look for Kunzite jewelry
in the evening this prevents sunlight exposure. It is considered as an evening stone
for this reason.
Kunzite deposits are widespread and produce large amounts of this gemstone and this
makes the gemstone very affordable. Very large and flawless crystals of Kunzite
are found which produces very large and flawless faceted gemstones.
It is a difficult gemstone to facet because of the perfect cleavage and a splintery
fracture of Kunzite. Kunzite is known for its strong pleochroism, depicting lighter
and deep coloring when seen through different angles. This is the reason that it
is always cut to depict the deepest pink color through the top of the gem. The deeper
pink the Kunzite is, the more valuable it generally is.
Kunzite is known to produce gemstones of great size. In fact, to search for fine
quality stones weighing 20 carats or more is easy. A beautiful 47-carat kunzite
ring sold for over $410,000 at a Sotheby's auction of the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis in 1996. President Kennedy bough it to gift his wife, however couldn’t get
the opportunity to gift her.
Recognise - Kunzite is made of aluminum, lithium and silicate.
Kunzite is crystallized to the monoclinic crystal system. The prismatic crystal
structure shows a distinct pleochroism that can be helpful in recognizing kunzite.
Kunzite shows perfect cleavage, a trait it is sharing with diamond as well as topaz.
With protracted exposure to direct sunlight, kunzite's color can fade; a different
attribute of the spodumene family. Unlike most other pink colored stones, kunzite
is mainly available in large sizes. Its vitreous luster and hardness is like quartz
that makes it softer as compared to pink sapphire and spinel.
Availability - The first important commercial deposit was discovered
1902 in the Pala region of San Diego, California, where morganite (pink beryl) was
found too. The most important deposits of kunzite are from Minas Gerais, Brazil,
in fact the present day supply origins from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Other sources
are Madagascar, Myanmar and USA. Smaller gem quality deposits have also been found
in Canada, Russia, Sweden, Mexico and Western Australia.
Usages - Though Kunzite is a relatively soft and delicate gem and
can even fade when prolonged too much for the exposure to light, however its appealing
color makes it a popular gem. Due to its cleavage and strong pleochroism small gems
are not commonly cut from Kunzite. It is most often used as a pendant stone and
as a large decorating stone on ornamental objects. It is less commonly used in jewelry
items, where small stones are required. Stones that are less transparent are sometimes
cut into cabochons and beads. Kunzite is a calming, relaxing stone. Kunzite and
the entire Spodumene group are important industrial sources of lithium used in the
making of medicines, automotive batteries, mobile phones and ceramics.
Buying Guide
Color - Kunzite, generally is pale, but it can sometimes be bright
and quite intense. The colors of Kunzite ranges from light pink to saturated pink;
lilac to lavender, and from light violet to pink-violet. The color of kunzite is
due to the traces of manganese. Color will change with prolonged exposure to strong
light. Kunzite is strongly pleochroic that results in various color intensities
(mainly pink, clear and violet) depending on the angle it is seen. The tops and
bottoms of crystals will present the intense color.
Clarity and Lustre - Kunzite is available with brilliant transparency.
Almost the stones are very clean, still few of the stones can show frequently aligned
additions like tubes or fractures. Eye clean stones are the most demanding stones,
however they do not necessarily demand higher premiums as with other gem types.
Kunzite shows a vitreous luster when polished.
Cut and Shape - Kunzite generally is faceted with an emerald step-cut.
It is even frequently found in Portuguese-cut, since the extra facets develop its
brilliance. Kunzite shows a powerful pleochroism, requiring lapidaries to properly
turn the cut in order to maximize color. Due to its perfect cleavage cutting is
a real challenge, splintery fracture and strong pleochroism. The commonly used shapes
are cushions, ovals, rounds and octagons (emerald cut), as well as fancy hearts
along with trillions.
Treatment - Mainly the kunzite is not treated naturally or enhanced
in any way. Still some brownish and green-violet stones may be heated to about 300°F
(150°C) to enhance color. To treat color another method of treatment is also in
practice called irradiation, however this is not as common as regular heating.
Gemological Characteristics: