Kunzite is the lilac-pink variety of spodumene, a lithium mineral, coloured by traces of manganese. It was identified in 1902 and named after George Frederick Kunz, Tiffany's famous gemmologist. It shows strong pleochroism, looking deeper pink down one direction of the crystal, so cutters orient stones carefully to face up with the best colour. Afghanistan, Brazil and Madagascar are the main sources, and big, clean crystals are surprisingly common, which keeps prices friendly for such a pretty stone.
Kunzite is famously an evening stone. Its colour can fade with long exposure to strong sunlight and heat, so it is happiest worn after dark and stored somewhere shady. It is also brittle with perfect cleavage, meaning a sharp knock can split it despite its decent hardness of 6.5 to 7. Choose pendants and earrings over daily rings, avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners, and wash it gently in lukewarm, soapy water. Treat it kindly and that delicate pink will reward you for decades.
Morganite and rose quartz share its soft pink; lepidolite is a fellow lithium-bearing mineral.
