Kunzite, Information and Interesting Facts.
The gemstone Kunzite was named after it's founder G.F Kunz in 1902. First occurence of the gem stone were recorded around 1877.
Kunzite gemstones are normally pale pink (lilac) and can sometimes be seen in darker shades of pink and even with a tinge of purple color. The scientific name of this mineral is spodumene and the color of Kunzite is derived from manganese that exists in the gemstone.
Here are some interesting and rarely disclosed facts about Kunzite gems:
(a) Kunzite has a hardness of around 6 to 7 on the Moh's scale of hardness. Yet, the gemstone is not very durable as the crystalline structure makes it quite fragile. You therefore need to protect the gemstone from blows and other impact.
(b) Most Kunzite is treated for enhancing color. The color of the gemstone will fade when exposed to heat or strong light sources. Infact, all Kunzite gems will gradually fade and lose color when exposed to natural sunlight too. This is a fact that most sellers would not like to disclose as they fear that it will keep buyers away.
(c) Depending on the direction from which the Kunzite gemstone is viewed, it could appear to be a pale color or a gorgeous lilac shade of pink. For this reason, Kunzite gem stones need to be cut at the right angle to ensure that the best color of the gemstone is shown from the top (table) of the cut gemstone.
(d) Smaller sizes of Kunzite gems appear very pale and almost colorless. If you would like to have a Kunzite gem stone with good color, go for sizes of around two carats and above for the piece.
(e) The same spodumene mineral - continued below ...
