Kunzite: Delicate Gem for Famous Gemologists

Kunzite: the Delicate Gem

Spodumene is a Lithium and Aluminum silicate belonging to the monoclinic crystal system. The rare green variety of Spodumene is called Hiddenite; the yellow-colored one is called Triphane. But what enchants hearts are the intense pink or purple shades that the Kunzite variety gives to the world of Gems.

Kunzite is an always-attractive Gem, but not very well-known by jewelry-store clients, and therefore it can sometimes be bought at excellent prices.

The color of the Delicate Gem varies from a delicate pastel pink to an intense violetish-purple and is conferred by Manganese. Often Kunzite displays a somewhat pale body color, but when it shows all its saturation it definitively enchants eyes and hearts. Being a pleochroic Gem, it can show different colors along different crystal directions. Cutters are obviously aware that Kunzite is pleochroic, just as they are aware that most of the color of the Kunzite crystal resides concentrated in its length (C-axis).

Delicate Kunzite

Kunzite, as a good Spodumene, measures from 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, so hardness is certainly not its strong suit.

Kunzites possess a vitreous luster and can easily cleave in two directions. The cleavage in two directions is a problem for the cutter, who is often forced to follow specific directions. Moreover, the Delicate Gem sometimes starts to break under just the pressure applied by the cutter in order to facet it.

Usually, the Delicate Gem comes to light with few inclusions, and indeed the cut most often applied to these Precious Stones is the Step Cut. The Step Cut, with its large table, really highlights the lack of inclusions inside the Gems. However, great cutters over the years have given any shape to the Delicate Gem, which can be mounted on various items of Jewelry that adapt well to any clientele.

Even today in San Diego County, in the Pala Chief Mine, many specimens of beautiful color are meticulously extracted from the typical pink clay.
Often Kunzites undergo the irradiation treatment, which produces in these Precious Stones the brown, green, orange or yellow color. Unfortunately, the color derived from the bombardment process is entirely temporary and vanishes immediately after prolonged exposure to the sun.

Kunz Kunz.. Kunzite!

Kunzite was first found in 1902 in San Diego County, and was sent to Tiffany’s gemologist George Frederick Kunz, who was the first to analyze it. Only the year after, in honor of Kunz, was the name Kunzite given to these marvelous Precious Stones.

The Specific Gravity of Kunzite is about 3.15 and the Refractive Index is about 1.660 – 1.676.