Morganite

14.55 Carat Cushion Shaped Morganite

Pink Variety of Beryl
Morganite is the pink variety of the gemstone beryl.

Colouration
Pure beryl is colourless, often called white, and although quite rare, tends not to be valuable because it does not have much brilliance. Colours, as in many gemstones, are caused by small amounts of impurity, usually metallic oxides. This is a another case where impurity is desirable. Pink is one of the most desirable colours of beryl, and morganite is quite rare and expensive.
Hardness
Morganite is quite hard, having a hardness of 7¹/₂ to 8 on Moh's scale, compared with 10 for diamond, 9 for corundum, and 8 for topaz. Hardness is generally a desirable feature is gemstones.

Prices
The price range of beryls is very large, ranging from under £1 pound per carat.

Cleaning
Beryl jewellery can be carefully cleaned using warm soapy water, or detergent, rinse thoroughly afterwards as detergents can cause dermatitis and allergic reactions. Enzyme cleaners should be avoided for the same reasons. Brushing with an old tooth brush to remove dirt and grease will also help. Cleaning agents containing chlorine may have a detrimental effect on low carat gold alloys, so are best avoided.
We stress that reasonable care should be taken when cleaning emeralds, as washing with strong detergents could cause any oil to be diluted or removed, requiring the stone to be re-oiled.
Beryls do not like excessive heat, and although they can tolerate temperatures above 100^c (the boiling point of water), it is advisable to use warm water rather than hot water, to reduce the dangers of thermal shock.
It is not advisable to clean beryl in an ultrasonic tank. We sometimes risk it with our own stock, but we would never clean a large or valuable beryl which did not belong to us, in an ultrasonic machine.

Repair Work
Because of beryls sensitivity to high temperatures and rapid temperature change, it is somewhat risky to carry out soldering close to beryls when carrying out jewellery repairs. It is possible for beryls to be coated with borax, or proprietary heat-shielding material while carrying soldering work on the jewellery in which they are set, but this must be done carefully, and if the beryls are large or of very high quality, it is better to unset them before carrying out repair work involving heat. Naturally this itself carries some degree of risk. For this reason, it is best to treat beryl jewellery with greater care and respect than for tougher stones such as diamond, sapphire or ruby.
The mounts should be of good quality alloy such as eighteen carat gold or platinum, not nine carat. Expect to pay more for repair work on beryl jewellery than for similar work on other stones.

Technical Data

Chemical Composition and Name	Be3Al2(SiO3)6 - Beryllium Aluminium Silicate
Hardness	7.5 to 8
Refractive Index	1.560 - 1.565 to 1.590 to 1.599
Specific Gravity	2.65 to 2.85
Birefringence	0.005 to 0.009
Crystalline System	Hexagonal
Optic Sign	Negative
Other Optical Properties	Uniaxial