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Kunzite
"The very pink of perfection".
Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774)
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George
Frederick Kunz (1856-1932)
Image courtesy of the Mineralogical
Record Library
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Oliver Goldsmith, an Irish writer, poet and
physician, never saw Kunzite, but he aptly
described it! While gemmologists describe
Kunzite's colours as coming in pink,
bluish-purple, purple, reddish-purple, purple
red or purplish-red, these 'precise'
descriptions are perhaps a little clinical for
the layperson. Instead, try picturing the
delightful range of colours that lay between
pastel pinks and rich orchids.
Kunzite was discovered in California around 1902
and was named in honour of George Frederick
Kunz, the gemmologist credited with its
identification. Mr. Kunz is a legendary figure
in the world of gems and the 'gem bug' certainly
got him young. Self taught from books and
practical research, he collected 4,000 mineral
specimens while still in his teens! Ultimately,
his knowledge saw him employed as the resident
'gem expert' at that iconic jeweller, Tiffany &
Co., becoming their vice president by the age of
23. Also a wonderful author, Kunz's gemstone
books are still readily available today.
Interestingly, 'Kunzite' wasn't the only name
for this gemstone; it was also initially traded
as 'California Iris'. But like all gemstone
variety names, it's all about usage. Today,
Kunz's namesake remains, while 'California Iris'
has fallen by the wayside.
A 20th-century gemstone, Kunzite has no real
'mythology' per se, other than its colour.
Kunzite is a quintessentially feminine gemstone;
after all, pink has long been regarded as the most romantic of colours and is typically
associated with love and romance. According to
colour psychologists, pink also has calming
qualities. Metaphysically, Kunzite is sometimes
connected to the heart chakra, the body's fourth
energy point, linked with the emotions of love
and compassion.
Kunzite is a colour variety of Spodumene, from
the Greek 'spodumenos', which means 'burnt to
ashes', in reference to Spodumene's light grey
colour. This mineral's colour variants are due
to trace elements of iron (yellow to green),
chromium (medium to deep green) and manganese
(pink to purplish-red). When coloured by
chromium, Spodumene is called Hiddenite. An
extreme rarity, and scarcely seen, Hiddenite was
discovered in 1800 by mineralogist and mining
director, William Earl Hidden. While Spodumene's
other colour variants are technically called
'[Colour Prefix] Spodumene', the commercial
names 'Green Kunzite', 'White Kunzite' and
'Yellow Kunzite' are also sometimes used.
Kunzite is predominately mined in Afghanistan,
Brazil, Madagascar and Pakistan, although its
original deposits in California occasionally
still yield the odd gem quality specimen.
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Kunzite &
Diamond 9K White Gold Ring |
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Kunzite's most important consideration is its
colourful brilliance, with the deeper shades
commanding higher prices. Kunzite's crystals
occur with reasonably few inclusions, so the
standard is eye-clean (no visible inclusions
when the gem is examined six inches from the
naked eye), with some inclusions under
magnification. While various shapes are seen,
the most common are oval, emerald and cushion.
Regardless of the cut, look for an even colour
and good brilliance. An interesting
characteristic of Kunzite is its
'phosphorescence', which is its ability to glow
in low light conditions after exposure to the
sun's ultraviolet rays. This, coupled with
Kunzite's love of incandescent lighting
(candlelight), gave rise to its common name,
'the evening gemstone'. Kunzite is also strongly
pleochroic, which means that its colours and
their intensity change when it is viewed from
different angles (
click here for more). As the
top and bottom of Kunzite crystals have the deepest colours,
the lapidary must take care to orientate the
crystal to accentuate its most desirable colour.
If you follow my 'even colour' caveat, the
negative aspects of pleochrism should be a
non-issue when purchasing Kunzite from reputable
sellers.
You can be 'pretty in pink', 'tickled pink', 'in
the pink' and apparently, being 'dressed in pink
makes the boys wink', but I can't say I've ever
felt that effect. For me, Kunzite is simply a
beautiful gemstone, whose colours, whether
pastel or intense, combine with its breathtaking
clarity to create a truly splendid gemstone.
And, as an added bonus, it was named in honour
of a legendary gem expert I greatly admire.
| When most of us think of
Afghanistan, images of conflict are
probably the first thing that come to
mind. What many people are unaware of is
that Afghanistan has a gemstone history
that may date back to as early as 6000
BC. Exported along ancient trade routes
to Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), Egypt
and India, Lapis Lazuli is mined in
northern Afghanistan's remote Badakhshan
district at the famous Sar-e-Sang
deposit. Long regarded as an excellent
source of spectacular mineral specimens,
Afghanistan is a country rich in
gemstone deposits. Gemstones occurring
in Afghanistan include Aquamarine,
Emerald, Garnet, Kunzite, Lapis Lazuli,
Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz and Tourmaline.
Today, Afghanistan is a major supplier
of Kunzite, with many excellent examples
being sourced from the Kunar Valley,
which is located in the north-eastern
part of the country, extending from
Afghanistan into Pakistan. Maintaining a
very strong tribal identity, Pashtuns
make up the vast majority of the Kunar
Valley's population. I know rough buyers
who routinely make the journey to this
province, suitably garbed of course, so
as not to attract unwanted attention.
Unfortunately, I've been threatened with
divorce should the idea ever cross my
mind! Typically extracted by people
living in villages surrounding the
deposits, gemstone mining in Afghanistan
faces many challenges, such as
remoteness, primitive mining techniques
and political instability. Thankfully,
the Afghani government is addressing
these issues so that gemstones play a
key role in this country's revival.
Let's hope Afghanistan's future is as
bright and colourful as its gemstones. |
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