Unveiling the Gemstone Kunzite

A lot of people have never even heard of the gemstone kunzite. Perhaps that is because it is a relatively new gemstone in the grand scheme of things.

Kunzite is a member of the spodumen family. It gets its name from the gemstone specialist that discovered it, George Frederick Kunz. The first deposits were unearthed near Pala in San Diego, California in 1902.

The gem possesses an unusual, soft lilac-pink color that has become extremely popular among today's generation of gem buyers. The stone is both elegant and hypnotic in its beauty.

Kunzite can be mistaken for morganite or pink topaz by those less familiar with the stone. That probably has a lot to do with is pleochrosmic capabilities. Look at it from one angle and the gem appears pink. View it from another angle and it looks violet. From yet another angle, it can even appear almost pale green.

Kunzite gets its lilac color from the manganese found within the stone. The more manganese, the brighter the violet shading within the gem. The less manganese, the more pink the stone.

Although not a common gem, it is currently available in decent quantities. However, if its popularity continues to grow, that situation could easily change within a few decades, if no new mines are unearthed.

Kunzite comes in prism-shaped crystals, many of which are unusually large in size for gemstone rough. The stone is currently mined in Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Madagascar, Mexico, Pakistan, Sweden and the United States. The Afghanistan variety of kunzite has a brighter violet color than most of the other varieties and, therefore, commands a bit high price on the market.

Kunzite ranks seven on the Mohs scale of hardness, which means that it can be easily scratched, cracked, or even broken if exposed to sharp blows or direct hits. The color of the gem can also easily fade in direct sunlight. Therefore, this isn't a stone that should be worn to the beach.