Kunzite / Pink Topaz / Tourmaline
Kunzite
Kunzite is the pale pink-violet to light violet form of the mineral spodumene. Kunzite is named as a tribute to George F. Kunz, the legendary American mineralogist and buyer for Tiffany & Co, who first described the gem in 1902. Kunzite is the pink-violet sister to the yellow-green hiddenite, another specimen of the spodumene family. Kunzite is strongly pleochroic, meaning there is a color intensity variation when a crystal of it is viewed from different directions. The top and bottom of the crystal reveal the deepest colors. Kunzite is very difficult to cut to ensure that the light passes through the gem and accents the desired color.
Kunzite is a beautiful, uplifting and calming gemstone. The kunzite meaning is most often associated with lovers and long-lasting love. Whether that is because of the gemstone’s gentle pink hues or the color energy observed since Kunzite’s discovery, it’s still a mystery.
Today, kunzite is mined in the United States, Brazil, Afghanistan and Madagascar.