MORGANITE

Run-of-mine morganite rough

Morganite is a rare pink coloured gemstone (i.e. a variety of beryl) named after the American banker and gem collector J.P. Morgan. The colour of morganite varies from pink, peach, rose and salmon to virtually colourless, believed to be imparted by traces of manganese. The colour of Marropino morganite is understood to one of the most sought after.

Morganite is relatively hard which makes it suitable as a gem for all types of jewellery. It measures 7.5- 8.0 on the Mohs scale as opposed to tanzanite which measure 6.5, amethyst which measures 7.0 and diamond which measures 10.0.

There is significant demand in the jewellery industry for the stone which is an additional mineral contained in Mozambican pegmatite’s and classed alongside stones such as aquamarine, tourmaline, emerald and topaz.

Morganite occurs in Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan and the USA. Some morganite gems are among the most valuable of the secondary gemstones and the value has increased with expanding knowledge of the gem-buying public.