Beryl (var. morganite)

The mineral beryl has many beautiful gem varieties: intense green emerald, blue to blue-green aquamarine, golden yellow heliodor, rare red beryl, and pink morganite. Beryl, in its pure form, is colorless. The rich hues of its gems are caused by a variety of impurity atoms that were incorporated in the crystals as they grew. Morganite, or pink beryl, gets its delicate hue from trace quantities of manganese. Morganite ranges in color from pink or rose to peach to light violet. In 1911, it was named by the renowned gemologist George F. Kunz after his patron, financier J. P. Morgan. Madagascar is famous for its deep pink morganite gems, but many fine stones are found in Brazil, Afghanistan, and California. The National Museum of Natural History has an extensive display of beryl gems and minerals. This magnificent gem from Brazil was faceted by Elvis “Buzz” Gray; it weighs 448.64 carats and is a modified cushion cut and was donated to the National Gem Collection by Tricia and Michael Berns.