Kunzite

Beads made of Kunzite

Kunzite is a pink natural stone believed to possess romantic, mystical powers. Irradiation is used to intensify Kunzite's pink colour, which comes from manganese. Sunlight and exposure to strong heat can fade the colour of Kunzite. The stone is named after George Kunz, who discovered Kunzite in early 1902. Kunzite is the pink to violet variety of the silicate, Spodumene. It has a glassy transparency, and forms in flattened prismatic crystals with vertical striations. It is highly pleochroic, shifting from pale pink to light violet and even colorless, depending on the angle of observation, and though its perfect cleavage makes cutting difficult, it can be faceted into beautiful gems.