Kunzite
Collectors love kunzite for its colour range, from delicate pastel pink to intense violetish purple. Trace amounts of manganese give this pink to violet variety of spodumene its feminine glow. A relative newcomer to the gemstone stage, kunzite was only confirmed as a unique variety of spodumene in the early part of the twentieth century.
Birthstones & Anniversaries
Some consider kunzite to be an alternate birthstone for September and February.
Treatments
Irradiation may produce pink or deeper pink colours from colourless to pink varieties of spodumene. Kunzite’s colour, including irradiated colour, is susceptible to fading upon prolonged exposure to light.
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
