Kunzite Consumer Information
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.
Clarity
Kunzite rarely has inclusions
Sometimes liquid inclusions occur
Color
Light in tone, pink to bluish purple
Treatment
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
Cut
Kunzites are often fashioned as large, step cut gems and rarely carved because of their directional cleavage
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