Morganite is the pink to peach form of beryl, in the same family as emerald and aquamarine. It is a clear, hard gemstone, usually faceted, and it was only named in 1910.
Beryl (cyclosilicate) · beryl
Morganite
Morganita
- Palette
- Pink Orange Clear
- Mined in
- Brazil, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Namibia, United States, Madagascar
- Hardness
- Mohs 7.5–8.0 ?
- See-through
- transparent
- Known since
- 1910
- Named for
- J. P. Morgan, a financier and gem collector
- Also sold as
- pink beryl, rose beryl, cesian beryl, pink emerald
- Intention
- Love
- Looking for
- Love Hope
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Sellers rarely say whether morganite beads are heated, and gentle heating to deepen the pink is common in the trade; very even, strong pink may also be dyed quartz or glass.
Not in our pieces now
MANGANESE
Morganite's pink comes from manganese ions in the beryl.
5 DEC 1910
George Kunz proposed the name morganite on 5 December 1910 at a New York Academy of Sciences meeting, honoring J. P. Morgan.
RED BERYL
Among beryl varieties, only red beryl is rarer than morganite.
What it is
Morganite is the pink to peach-orange gem variety of beryl, usually clear and faceted, with fewer flaws than emerald. It shows a slightly different pink depending on the direction you look through the crystal.
What gives it its color
The pink to peach color comes from a trace of manganese in the beryl.
Where it comes from
Morganite is mined in Brazil, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Namibia, Madagascar and the United States; pink beryl was first found in 1910 on an island off Madagascar, and Pala, California and Maine are classic U.S. sites.
In history
Pink beryl was found on an island off Madagascar in 1910, and the New York Academy of Sciences named it morganite that December, at the suggestion of gem expert George Kunz, to honor collector J. P. Morgan. The Smithsonian holds two faceted morganites of 236 and 250 carats, and in 1989 a 50-pound crystal called the Rose of Maine came out of a quarry in Buckfield, Maine.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, pink stones are the ones people keep for love, comfort and hope. Morganite is usually put in that group, though it has little lore of its own.
Its name honors a New York financier who collected gems. People wear it as a ring, pendant or earrings.
How people wear or keep it: As a ring or pendant, as earrings, or on the wrist.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, morganite is paired with the heart chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: as a ring or pendant, as earrings, on the wrist. People reach for it when they want love, hope, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacLibra
Anniversary9th
ElementWater
Also calledpink beryl, rose beryl, cesian beryl
Care
- Hard and durable, so it suits rings and bracelets, though a hard knock on an edge can still chip it.
- Clean with a soft cloth, mild soap and lukewarm water.
- Keep it out of long, strong sunlight and bright heat, in case the color shifts.
- Store it apart from diamond and sapphire, which are harder.
How to tell what you have
- Morganite is the pink to peach variety of beryl, harder than quartz at 7-1/2 to 8, usually clear with fewer flaws than emerald.
- It can show liquid inclusions with small gas bubbles.
- Pink quartz and glass are cheaper stones that look similar, and lab-created morganite exists, so ask what you are buying.
What sets the price
Beads cost more when the pink is deeper and more even; very pale beads cost less, and beads heated or dyed for color are not the same as natural color.
Rules and sourcing
Gentle heating to deepen the pink is common in morganite, and very even strong pink may be dyed quartz or glass. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose heat or dye and not to call other material morganite.
Questions people ask at our table
What is morganite?
Morganite is the pink to peach variety of beryl, the same mineral family as emerald and aquamarine. It was named in 1910 for the financier J. P. Morgan.
Is the color natural?
The pink comes from a trace of manganese in the crystal. Stones left as mined often lean orange or salmon, so a clean pure pink is worth asking a seller about.
Is it hard enough for everyday wear?
Yes. It sits at 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, harder than quartz, which is why it is a popular ring stone.
How is it different from rose quartz and kunzite?
Morganite is clear and glassy with a peach-pink tone. Rose quartz is cloudier and cooler pink, and kunzite is a more lilac pink that can fade in strong sun.
Do you carry morganite?
Not at the moment. Rose quartz and pink aventurine give a similar soft pink in sturdier beads.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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