Morganite is the peach, rose, violet, and pink varieties of the beryl family. It is colored by manganese impurities and is named after the American banker gem enthusiast, J. Pierpoint Morgan. Morganite tends to occur as short and stubby (tabular) prisms and is dichroic. It shows either two shades of the body color, or one shade and colorless.
Gemstones include liquid-filled inclusions. So, the ones with a yellow or orange tinge may be heat-treated for a purer pink.
Occurrence
The first morganite stone to be discovered was a pale rose-colored specimen from California (USA), where it occurred with tourmaline. Some of the finest morganite is from Madagascar. Brazil produces pure pink crystals, as well as some containing aquamarine and morganite in the same crystal. Other localities include Elba (Italy), Mozambique, Namibia, and Pakistan.
Morganite Properties
- Specific Gravity: 2.80
- Refractive Index: 1.58-1.59
- Birefringence (DR): 0.008
- Luster: Vitreous
- Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
- Composition: Beryllium aluminum silicate
- Hardness: 7½
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