Home » categories » gemstones » Kunzite


Colour
  • Light in tone, pink to bluish purple
Clarity
  • Kunzite rarely has inclusions
  • Sometimes liquid inclusions occur


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TREATMENTS
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CUT
  • 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
  • Kunzites are often fashioned as large, step cut gems and rarely carved because of their directional cleavage



care
  • Care must be taken, especially with gems set in rings, because they tend to absorb the most physical impact
  • It is best to clean them with a damp, non-abrasive cloth
  • Because of their susceptibility to fade upon prolonged exposure to bright light, kunzites are best placed in a dark storage container when not in use

Because kunzites are often thought of as uniquely American gemstones (though they are also mined elsewhere), gems from the Pala district possess a unique provenance, especially since they were named after a famous American. Depth of colour, especially in rich magenta coloured gems, is appreciated.
collect
Recent sale at Bonhams: a 351.5 carats of deeply saturated purplish-pink spodumene. The elegant oval step cut gem exhibited superb luster and clarity. It earned $3,660