14 Reasons To Go Mad For Morganite
- Feminine without being overtly girly, morganite is a soft-pink to orange-pink form of Beryl, from which also comes its better-known relatives, emerald and aquamarine.
-
It is named after legendary financier J.P. Morgan, one of the most important collectors of gemstones of the early 20th century. Morgan gifted much of his collection to the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Museum of Natural History in Paris, where they can still be seen.
3. Untreated morganite is often a delicate salmon-pink colour and strong, intense colour is extremely rare. Morganite stones have to be large in order to achieve depth of colour and so colour is seen as the most important factor for this gem. Most prized are the strong pinks and magentas, but watch out, stones of this colour are often heat-treated in order to obtain such tones.
4. Most morganite comes from Brazil these days and tends to be peachy-pink in colour, however, the best examples come from the original source of Madagascar, where the gems colouration is more towards the pure pink or magenta end of the spectrum.
5. Often found in large formations, stones of up to 221lbs have been unearthed. One of the largest specimens was uncovered in Maine, USA in 1989. Weighing in at more than 50lbs, it became known as The Rose of Maine.
6. Morganite is a good cutting stone and is often fashioned into more creative pieces, making it a favourite among designers.
7. It is much rarer than its cousins, emerald and aquamarine, but readily available to discerning designers, purely because it hasnt been nearly so widely promoted to the jewellery-buying market.
8. Not typically found in your average jewellery store, whilst morganite jewellery isnt commonplace it is becoming more popular.
9. Offering good hardness and durability, morganite makes a good stone for everyday wear with a little care. Stones set in a 6-8 claw setting or even better, a bezel setting, will be better protected than those in a 4-claw setting.
10. Morganite is sensitive to household cleaners and chemicals, but easily cleaned with just mild, soapy water. Be sure to rinse well in order to remove any residue which might dull the its sparkle though.
11. With a high-degree of brilliance this gemstone can be cut into many shapes, but its beauty and brightness are best drawn out with a brilliant-cut. Accent diamonds and rose-gold settings also enhance the brilliance and colour of this pretty stone.
12. The most recent morganite pieces created by Biagio, were designed specifically around stones handpicked by him for their intense colour and brilliance, making them exceptionally fine and highly desirable examples of their kind.
13. Unlike emerald, which tends towards inclusions, morganite is mostly clear of visible inclusions. In rare cases, it can display chatoyancy (a cats eye effect), or asterism (a star effect) and can be cut to highlight these features.
14. Thought by some to inspire and maintain love, it is also associated with compassion, healing, assurance and promise, making it a wonderfully romantic choice for an engagement ring.
Comments are closed here.