KUNZITE Collectors love kunzite for its color range, from delicate pastel pink to intense violetish purple.
ABOUT KUNZITE
Kunzite is the best-known variety of the mineral spodumene. It’s named after famed gemologist George Frederick Kunz, who was the first to identify it as a unique variety of spodumene. Kunzite gets its delicate color from trace amounts of manganese. California’s San Diego County is an important source of kunzite.
BIRTHSTONES & ANNIVERSARIES
Some consider kunzite to be an alternate birthstone for February.
SPODUMENE
Kunzite is the best-known variety of spodumene. Others are green hiddenite and yellow triphane.
A “NEW” GEM
Kunzite was first recognized as a unique variety of spodumene around 1902.
LITHIUM
The pegmatites that yield kunzite are also a source of lithium.
FACTS
- Mineral: Spodumene
- Chemical composition: LiAlSi2O6
- Color: Pink-violetish purple, light-intense
- Refractive index: 1.660 to 1.676
- Birefringence: 0.014 to 0.016
- Specific gravity: 3.18
- Mohs hardness: 6.5 to 7.0
QUALITY FACTORS
The following factors combine to determine a kunzite’s value.
COLOR
Color is kunzite’s most important value factor. The more vivid the color, the higher the value.
CLARITY
Kunzite is usually very clean, so inclusions that affect its transparency can reduce the gem’s value.
CUT
Skilled cutters can bring out kunzite’s beauty despite challenges from its two cleavage directions.
CARAT WEIGHT
It’s not unusual to find kunzite in large sizes. This is an extremely large example that
weighs 648.10 carats.