First discovered in Connecticut, Kunzite is composed of lithium, aluminum, and silicate. Named after George Frederick Kunz an American mineralogist who lived from 1856 – 1932. Kunz was a legendary New York colored stone specialist and jeweler.

The first substantial commercial deposit was discovered 1902 in the Pala area of San Diego, California. Morganite or pink beryl was also discovered in Pala.The most important deposits found of kunzite to date are from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Afghanistan and Pakistan also have a substantial supply. Some other common sources include Madagascar, Myanmar, and the US. Other smaller gem quality deposits have been found in Mexico, Sweden, Western Australia, Canada and Russia.

A trait commonly shared with diamond and topaz is its perfect cleavage that makes cutting quite a challenge.
Kunzites gorgeous pale pink to light-violet coloring is inspiring. Kunzite is usually on the pale side however it can sometimes be bright and quite intense.

Kunzite has been known to range from light pale pink to saturated pink; lilac to lavender, and from light violet to pinkish-violet. Traces of manganese are the cause of its color. With prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, its pale pink color can fade just like other pieces of the spodumene family.

Kunzite is genuinely found in very large sizes that are unusual for pink stone. Its transparency and hardness are similar to quartz.

Though many stones are quite clean, some stones can show frequently aligned inclusions. Tubes or fractures can occur in Kunzite and its commonly faceted with an emerald step cut. Portuguese-cut is often found to use its extra facets to enhance its brilliance.

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