Morganite stone, also known as pink beryl, is one of the most popular gemstones in the world. It has a beautiful deep pink color that makes it stand out from other gems and attract the attention of anyone who sees it. It’s very popular in jewelry and its beauty makes it easy to see why people would pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for morganite pieces. However, not everyone knows about the different colors that morganite comes in or how these can affect its value. To learn more about morganite color and how this affects its price, keep reading below!
Colorless Morganite
The most common color of morganite is clear or white. Colorless morganite is usually very affordable and often used in jewelry settings to highlight other stones, like diamonds or colored gemstones. The exception is when it has a very slight pink tint, which makes it less desirable as a diamond substitute but still popular as an alternative to white sapphire. The further away from pure white (colorless) morganite gets, its value will drop. Most commonly seen colors are pink, lavender and peach.
Pink Morganite
A pink morganite is created by mixing boron into aluminum oxide and heating it at high temperatures. This process only creates pink or red morganites and has little impact on clarity. Because of how difficult it is to produce pink morganites, they are very rare—and since it’s next to impossible to tell a natural specimen from a lab-created one, you can rest assured that any dealer offering you a pink morganite for sale will have done some serious verification work on its origin. The price tag for lab-created pink morganites is considerably less than their naturally-formed counterparts, but as with all gems purchased from reputable dealers, it comes with a certification certificate guaranteeing its authenticity.
Purple Morganite
Also called Rhodolite, Purple Morganite is a very rare and valuable form of Morganite. The Rhodolite Garnet was discovered in Brazil in 1910. The garnet was found to be an astonishing violet color which resembled an existing gemstone called Garnet Rose from Mozambique. Both stones are varieties of Pyrope Garnets. However, unlike Pyrope, Rhodolites are known for their beautiful violet color and extreme durability even in highly acidic conditions. There is also a difference between Pink Morganites and Pink Rhodolites; it’s easy to tell them apart because Rhodolites are much more expensive than Pink Morganites which can range anywhere from $500 to $1,000 per carat depending on quality.
Blue Morganite
Because Morganite is a gemstone and not a mineral, it can be found in any color or shade. The best known are pink or blue; they are called pink morganite and blue morganite, respectively. Pink and blue morganites derive their color from trace amounts of manganese in their crystal structure, so pink morganites will always be pink (as long as they contain manganese) while blue ones may become greenish-blue if heat treated. Naturally-occurring purple, white, orange, yellow, brown and black Morganites are much rarer but also exist; one recent find was an opaque black specimen from Madagascar that resembled onyx.
Yellowish Brown (Chocolate) Morganite
The most common color for morganite, and often a good choice for less-experienced buyers who want to avoid a possible disappointment. If you’re buying morganite to set in jewelry, or as an anniversary or birthday gift for someone special, you’ll probably want to choose yellowish brown over pink. This variety is also sometimes referred to as chocolate morganite because of its resemblance to chocolate ice cream. One exception: if you’re looking for a bold splash of color rather than understated sparkle and shine, chocolate morganite might be right up your alley.
Other Colors
The color white is a dominant characteristic in morganite. The name originates from J.P. Morgan, who was an American banker and financier that had discovered. Rare blue crystals in Madagascar that are now known as morganite. Other hues include pink, red, purple, yellow and green which are produced as a result of heat treatment or irradiation. The colors tend to be less saturated than those found in aquamarine, sphene and tourmaline. It’s also possible to find blackish-brown colors that have been caused. By heat treatment or irradiation at high temperatures (over 600 degrees Celsius).
