Morganite
Morganite is variety of the species beryl, named after J.P. Morgan a well known American banker and stone collector.
The gemstone occurs in soft pink to violet colours, that may appear as as light shades of rose, salmon or peach.. Most stones have good clarity with few inclusions and when pale, may be heat-treated to improve the colour.
Source locations for morganite include: Afghanistan, Africa, Brazil, China, Madagascar and USA
Properties of the Gemstone and Additional Information
| Gemstone type: | A variety of the species beryl. |
| Crystal System: | Hexagonal |
| Chemical Composition: | Berylllium aluminium silicate - Be3Al2(SiO3)6 |
| Colour: | Soft light colours of pink to violet, typically rose, salmon and peach colours. Bluish-pink colours may be seen due to pleochroism. |
| Lustre: | Vitreous |
| Pleochroism: | Dichroic: Pink to bluish pink |
| Dispersion: | Low |
| Hardness: | 71/2 - 8 on the Mohs' scale |
| Toughness: | Fair |
| Cleavage: | Very imperfect |
| Density in gm/cc: |
2.68 to 2.74 |
| Double refraction: | Yes |
| Refractive index: | 1.564 - 1.596 |
Common Treatments
Pale morganite may by heat-treated to deepen the colour.
Synthetic morganite is also produced.