Kunzite

History and General Information of Natural Kunzite Gemstone

Like most natural gemstones, which are named after the person who discovered them or else researched it, kunzite gemstone is named after George Frederick Kunz (1856 – 1932), a New York jeweler. This gemstone was first discovered in Pala District of San Diego County in California in 1902. It is a fairly young gem, because it was discovered only a century back, and only now is it being seen in popular jewelry. The stone is valued for its pink color, which ranges in hue from a light pink to a deep lilac (bluish purple).

Kunzite gemstone belongs to the group of gems from the mineral spodumene. Due to its extreme fragility, kunzite is rarely used in jewelry where small pieces are needed. Instead, pendants are fashioned out of it and it is used as ornamentation for decorative objects. Gem kunzite is also known as the evening stone and the reason behind it is its susceptibility to lose color when worn in sunlight, for long periods of time.