How is Morganite Graded for Gem Quality?

How is Morganite Graded for Gem Quality?

When you’re looking to buy Morganite, how do you know that you’ve found a high quality stone?

How is Morganite graded? There is no universal standard for grading Morganite, but these gems are typically graded by assessing the color quality of the stone, as well as the presence and prominence of any visible inclusions. The combination of letters and numbers used to communicate grades, varies between grading models.

Morganite is a rare and beautiful stone, but quality and value varies. It’s one that is frequently imitated, so it’s important to understand the basics of quality, grading, and verification. This article should help you to shop more confidently and protect yourself.

Jewelers Speak Different Dialects

Many years ago, before my first trip to India, I broke out my trusty Encyclopedia (that used to be our internet), and tried to learn all I could about the country and culture. As I recall, at the time, they said the country had something like 14 languages and 1,000 dialects.

Each area that I visited in that beautiful country, seemed to speak a new language. Many of the people I met were fluent in 8 or 9 different languages—they had to be in order to communicate in their daily lives.

Jewelers and Gemologists often speak various dialects too when it comes to grading different types of gems and stones. They’re usually interested in the same characteristics, but communicate about them in different ways. Things get confusing when you hear two or three different sources giving you grading information in inconsistent formats. Some use numbers, while others use letters. Still others have systems that combine both letters and numbers.

GIA (Gemological Institute of America), can create reports on morganite that document feature detail, but they aren’t grading reports—and therefore won’t contain a grade or score. What the report will reference, are details like weight, measurement information, shape, cut detail, and color description. The report can also verify whether the stone is natural or synthetic, and will mention any enhancement treatments that evaluators were able to detect.

One grading system developed by GIA that’s used for colored gems divides various types of colored stones into three categories (Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3). Type 1 includes stone types that rarely have visible inclusions (imperfections that are visible without magnification). Type 2 are more included stones. Type 3 have even more easily visible inclusions.

These three groupings categorize the type of stone, in general, based on common characteristics of the gem. In addition to that more general categorization, the system then applies a rating to the specific stone being evaluated as well.

The individual stone grades include:

  • VVS – Very, Very Slightly Included
  • VS – Very Slightly Included
  • SI1 – Slightly Included I
  • SI2 – Slightly Included 2
  • I1 – Included 1
  • I2 – Included 2
  • I3 – Included 3

Inclusions get more significant and visibly obvious as you move down each level until you reach the most included category of stones (I3). The final, combined, grading tells you something important about the family of stone, but also how well a specific gem measures up against the natural characteristics it’s normally known for.

Morganite is a ‘Type 1’ gem, meaning that they’re generally clear stones that don’t have inclusions that can be observed with the naked eye (without magnification). If a Type 1 stone has a visible inclusion, it typically won’t be used for jewelry unless the setting sufficiently covers the inclusion, so it’s no longer visible.

Another system that’s used by some, assigns a letter grade based on color and presence of inclusions. The grading range includes B, A, AA, and AAA. ‘B’ stones are lighter shades and more included. On the other end of the scale, AAA are darker and more clear.

The 4 C’s for Colored Gems

The 4 C’s that determine diamond value, are also applicable to Morganite, and other colored stones, but their value is weighted a little differently.

The famous 4 C’s include:

  • Color
  • Cut
  • Clarity
  • Carat weight

For colored gems, like Morganite, color is, by far, the most important factor. Morganite comes in numerous shades pink that sometimes blend with orange that lead to more peachy-pink colorings. For Morganite specifically, a darker shade is going to be more desirable and valuable than a lighter shade—stones with deeper and richer coloring are more rare.

The Source of Color

The beautiful shades of pink that are so typical of Morganite, come from traces of Manganese in the stone. As with any mined stone, the concentration of a specific element on the rock constantly changes, leading to variation in the mined stone. Some is mostly colorless, with only the slightest hint of pink, while other sections of stone have a deep rosy pink hue.

Morganite is most commonly found in soft shades of pink that can also incorporate orange, yellow, peach, violet, or even salmon tones as the presence and concentration of various elements cause colors to merge. Diamonds are prized for their clearness. They’re worth the most when they are colorless and free of inclusions and other imperfections. Colored gems like Morganite are valued primarily for the quality of their color.

How is Morganite Graded for Color

Light colored stones are most common. Deeper tones with more intensity are more rare, and therefore demand a premium in the marketplace. Of course, the other C’s (clarity, cut, and carat weight) also impact the value of each stone, but they always take a backseat to color with these gems.

The Impact of Heat Treating

Since color intensity and saturation are such big drivers of market place value for colored gems, many suppliers take steps to ‘enhance’ the color of their stones. They can do that through a process known as Heat Treating.

When Morganite is enhanced, it’s exposed to heat that can have several impacts on color. First, it’s intensifies color. It’s like adjusting color saturation settings on your television, making colors more vivid. Stones that looked pale and diluted become more vibrant and lively. This color enhancement is a permanent change for the stone, and isn’t superficial. If you have to have the stone re-cut and re-polished again in the future, the color won’t be affected.

While heat treating increases the quantity of richly colored stones that are available for rings, making them affordable for users that love the look, they often don’t carry the same value as non-heat treated stones with similar color qualities. Gemologists can sometimes tell through careful evaluation whether a stone has ever been heat treated, but only when it was exposed to intense heat that left signs in the crystal structure of the stone. When heat treatment is done at lower temperatures, it’s impossible for even then most skilled gem experts to detect.

It’s an understood ethical expectation in the gem and jewelry business that you disclose when a stone has been enhanced in some way, but that doesn’t mean that all sellers do. Your large, more reputable, dealers often try to be diligent with disclosure. In reality, heat treatment won’t matter to most buyers, but it still helps to be informed before making your purchase in case that is an important aspect of your buying decision.

GIA (Gemological Institute of America) can evaluate stones and creates these reports for you if needed. Just to be clear, these aren’t grading reports, no grades are given, they’re simply reports where certain qualities are observed and reported on.

For Morganite, heat treatment, or ‘enhancement,’ is more the rule than the exception. Most Morganite on the market today has been heat treated to improve color quality.

In reality, a bride or groom that just loves the look and history of Morganite, shouldn’t be concerned at all with whether a stone has been heat treated or not. That’s only really of interested to collectors. None of your friends or family members are likely to ever ask if you Morganite was heat treated—you can’t tell just by looking at it.

If you proactively announced that your stone hasn’t been heat treated, the person admiring your ring wouldn’t have the background on the issue to make them appreciate that fact. They might make a comment that sounds like they appreciate that fact, but in reality, they don’t care—why would they, unless they study gems? It’s just not worth the added cost.

The other thing that heat treating does for Morganite is focus the color of a stone. As I mentioned earlier, Morganite can have multiple elements that cause variations of pink, orange, and yellow to be present in the ring. Sometimes that blended color is desirable, other times it isn’t. By heating the stone, you can burn off some of the elements that introduce unwanted colors into the stone. The heat treated stone can become a stronger pink that’s free of the orange or yellow tones that had been present previously, for example.

Other Names Morganite is Known By

Morganite is referred to by a number of less common names. Cesian Beryl, Cesium Beryl, Pink Beryl, Pink Emerald, and Rose Beryl

Morganite is a member of the beryl family (like Emerald and Aquamarine), which is why ‘Beryl’ is so often part of the other names that have been used for the stone. Morganite shows a range of pink colors due to traces of manganese.

Rating Wear Resistance

Morganite is rated a 7.5 to 8 on Mohs Scale of hardness. That means it’s a relatively hard stone, but not as hard as alternatives like sapphire (9) or Moissanite (9.25). Of course diamond is the hardest natural material known to man. Diamond is rated a 10 on the scale.

Morganite is hard enough that it isn’t necessarily fragile, but it likely will collect accidental scratches from bumping up against things over time. Eventually, you may need to have the stone re-cut or re-polished, that shouldn’t be needed until many years down the road though if you’re careful—and may never be needed.

It’s a good idea to avoid using an Ultrasonic cleaners or steamers for your ring, until you have it evaluated by a Gemologist. Morganite can be sensitive to abrupt temperature changes, but the bigger concern, is potential weakness form inclusions or fractures in the stone. It’s a good idea to have a gemologist examine the ring for potential weak points before using a fancy cleaning device.

In the meantime, gently clean your Morganite using warm water, a mild dishsoap (like Dawn), and a baby toothbrush. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry the ring completely.

Related Questions:

What is Morganite Worth?

Morganite is a rare semi-precious stone. It’s actually one of the most rare members of the Beryl family. The equivalent of a quality 1 carat Morganite stone, would likely be around $300.

Be very cautious when you see ultra cheap Morganite being sold online. The saying, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” comes to mind. Quite often (like almost always) those beautiful Morganite stones you see on eBay, and elsewhere online, are just colored glass. I’ve heard from a number of people that have fallen victim to glass sold as Morganite. You’d really have to take your stone to a jeweler, or mail it to a laboratory, to know if your stone is real.

How Can I Test Morganite?

It would hard for you to know, for certain, if a piece of ‘Morganite’ you purchased is actually Morganite, and not colored piece of glass or another type of stone that can look similar (like Kunzite). It might be best to take the stone to a local jeweler for testing.

They can evaluate the ‘stone’ under magnification or do refractive light testing to confirm the stone is Morganite or to let you know that it isn’t. Morganite is about 1.57 on the refractive index. It would probably take the Jeweler less than 5 minutes to test the stone and give you the information that you need.

What Other Morganite Jewelry do Brides Wear?

Buying jewelry accessories that match your ring is so much easier, and more affordable when you’re wearing Morganite than it is with diamond. Brides often purchase Morganite earrings, necklaces, and bracelets that coordinate with the color of their beautiful new ring.

What’s really awesome, is that all of those pieces, combined, are still just a fraction of the total cost of a similar sized diamond ring.

Related Posts:

How Can You Tell if Morganite is Real or Fake?

Which is Better Moissanite or Morganite?

What Color is Moissanite? All the Natural and Fancy Options

 

How Can You Tell if Morganite is Real or Fake?

How Can You Tell if Morganite is Real or Fake?

Wasting time and money buying Morganite that turns out to be fake, is frustrating! You feel violated. The fake gem is likely made of glass, so you can’t us it in your engagement ring. This information should help you to shop for your gem more confidently, and avoid getting ripped off.

How can you tell if Morganite is real? There are warning signs that a particular Morganite stone might be fake, but the only way to know for sure, is to have it tested by a laboratory. Certification from respected labs can also help. If a price seems too good to be true, it typically is. Many ultra inexpensive sellers send colored glass.

The more you know about Morganite, the easier it will be to spot a fake Morganite stone. Unfortunately, there are a lot of fakes out there, so you’ll need this information!

What is Morganite?

Morganite is part of the Beryl family, like Emeralds and Aquamarine. It’s a beautiful gem that has coloring that’s often a fusion between peach and pink. The shade looks fantastic with most skin tones, and is especially striking when set in Rose Gold.

Brides that want color and uniqueness for their ring tend to love Morganite. While it’s not the lowest maintenance gem available, it’s rich with natural charm, elegance, and beauty. It also helps that it isn’t terribly expensive, in fact, it’s significantly cheaper than a pink diamond.

Morganite was discovered along the coast of Madagascar in the early 1900’s. It was proposed by a gemologist that had the wealthy banking tycoon JP Morgan as a friend and client, that the stone be renamed after him, which is why it’s called Morganite today.

Prior to the renaming, the gem was known as Pink Beryl or Rose Beryl. Impurities in the stone can often give Morganite a more yellow or orange appearance, so stones are often heated as a means of burning the impurities out of the stone, which increases the beautiful pink coloring that Morganite is famous for.

Morganite is a semi-precious gem. All Morganite is currently mined from the earth, not manufactured in a laboratory. It’s primarily mined in Madagascar and Brazil, but is also harvested from China, Africa, Russia, and a couple of places in the US. It’s actually considered to be a fairly rare gem.

In order for a gem to stand up to the wear and tear that it receives in jewelry, it needs to be at least a 7 on Mohs Scale of Hardness. Mohs Scale, is a 10 point scale that shows the relative hardness of various minerals. The way the scale is structured, the higher the number, the harder the material. Morganite is rated at 7.5 to 8, depending on the specific stone being evaluated. That’s harder than some gems used in engagement rings, and much softer than others.

How Do you Perform a Sniff Test?

A “sniff test,” is a quick evaluation of the simple facts of a transaction to see if something smells “fishy” or strange. It boils down to using your intuition or following your gut. It’s based on the premise, that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

This absolutely true of gems! Being the frugal ring buyer that you are, you might scour the internet looking for the lowest possible price on a nice looking 1 carat, round cut, Morganite stone for your ring.

Your searching takes you to eBay, where you’re able to buy the gem for just $79, instead of the $300 price tag that most other jewelers have for a similar item. It’s probably not much of a stretch to say that 99.9% of all cheap Morganite sold on such sites is colored glass.

Aside from the frustration of wasting time on the item, you also wasted money. If a tight budget was the driver that caused you to go with Morganite instead of a pink diamond or some other gem, then you may have lost $79 that you really couldn’t afford to be without.

You obviously can’t use a stone made out of glass. While it might look just like Morganite for a few days, it isn’t, so it won’t have the same optical qualities or durability.

Based on all of that, it’s a good idea to ask yourself if the piece of Morganite that you’re evaluating is just too cheap to be believable. Is it being sold by a company that has a strong history and reputation? While you can’t let your guard down because of the history and reputation of a company, you’re certainly a lot safer overall buying from those types of sellers.

Not all small sellers are intentionally trying to take advantage of you when they sell you fake Morganite. At least in many cases, they’ve purchased from an international supplier, often from China or India, that has sold loose stones or finished rings that were labeled as Morganite. They bought them believing that they are, and are reselling them with full belief that they contain genuine Morganite.

How Can You Get a Professional Opinion?

If you take a piece of Morganite to a local jeweler, they should be able to quickly tell you if it’s an actual stone, or a piece of glass. They won’t need any fancy electronic equipment to test the stone, a simple Loupe is enough. The Loupe, is the eye piece that jewelers use for magnification. Chances are, that they won’t even charge you just to take a quick look to tell you if it’s glass or stone.

You could even talk to hobbyists that you find in local meetup groups if you’d like. Some of them know a lot and could almost certainly magnify your sample to at least tell you whether it’s an actual stone.

Sending the material that you believe to be Morganite to a laboratory for testing, would probably give you the greatest degree of certainty, but it also costs something for the testing. While rates vary, the test and report is likely to cost approximately $70.

What should Quality Morganite Cost?

A quality piece of Morganite that has nice coloring will typically cost about $300 per carat. Of course some will be a little higher and some will be a little lower, depending on where you buy it and number of other factors.

If you find Morganite that’s substantially more expensive than that, you may want to evaluate whether it’s the right place to purchase your gem. If you find prices substantially lower, you may want to proceed with extreme caution, in case the Morganite they’re selling isn’t real.

If you find a nice looking 1 carat Morganite gem that’s $259, should that raise a red flag. No, not in and of itself. I would strongly consider my confidence in the organization selling the stone though. In contrast, if you found a nice looking 1 carat Morganite ‘gem’ that was $30…run!

How to Can I Protect Myself from Being Scammed?

I mentioned reputation earlier, but that’s a really important component. If the local jeweler or online retailer has been open a long time and has a good reputation, that will help decrease the likelihood of an issue. Read product reviews, if they’re available for the stone or ring that you’re considering if they’re available. Pay special attention to the negative ones.

While product reviews are helpful, don’t take a lack of negative reviews as proof that a particular piece of Morganite is legitimate. Glass pieces could potentially end up fooling a lot of people for a long time.

In addition to specific product reviews, it’s a good idea to also search google and Facebook for reviews left by customers regarding the organization. It’s helpful to read positive reviews, but it’s even more important to read all of the negative reviews. Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website for complaints that have been filed against the organization that you’re thinking of buying from as well.

After reading through product reviews and any reviews or complaints regarding the organization, you should have a better feel for the quality of the product and the retailer.

A return policy is a really important protection that you should inquire about. If you had a 30-day return policy on a Morganite ring that you purchased, for example, that would provide a little time to stop by another jeweler to get confirmation that your ring isn’t Morganite colored glass.

Store policies that prohibit returns aren’t unusual or suspicious, but they do limit your flexibility and prohibit you from getting confirmation before you make a commitment to a ring you may not yet know enough about.

A Certification on the stone from a reputable laboratory would add a lot of assurance. Certificates from laboratories that aren’t well known shouldn’t be fully trusted. They could be made up for all you know, or they might essentially certify anything they get paid to provide a certificate for.

One of the biggest challenges with unknown laboratories, is that their grading language can be confusing (sometimes intentionally confusing). They can use terminology for their grades that make a stone appear to be of higher quality than it actually is.

I mentioned problems with both intentional and unintentional misrepresentation of jewelry and stones purchased through sites like eBay earlier. Many other sites that offer a platform to connect buyers and sellers have the same issues. They’re dangerous places to do business because it’s so hard to really know who you’re dealing with and what kind of product they’re offering.

Even when past buyers have glowing things to say about the product, there’s know way of knowing if the reviews are real, if they got the same product you’re buying, if the seller or the seller’s supplier made a change that is going to leave you with something very different than you thought you were buying.

My best advice, is to be frugal, but not foolish when it comes to buying your engagement or wedding ring. Too cheap can sometime be as big a problem as too expensive, because it makes you vulnerable to cheats and scammers.

Related Questions:

Is Morganite a Gem That You Can Wear Everyday?

Morganite can be worn everyday if you’re careful with it and your diligent about cleaning it. Some brides enjoy having multiple rings and changing them based on their mood and outfits. Rotating your rings means they see less wear and tear, but also require less frequent cleaning.

Will Morganite Pass for Pink Diamond?

Yes, many people might mistake a Morganite gem for a pink diamond. Jewelers and gemologists could tell them apart, but Morganite is beautiful, and massively cheaper than the diamond.

Which Other Gems are Colorful and Durable?

Stones like Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, and Topaz come in a variety of gorgeous colors and are worth looking into for a distinctive engagement ring or wedding ring. You may even want to look into colored Moissanite. All of those potential candidates are, at least, as hard as Morganite. Hardness equals scratch resistance, which helps your ring looker longer.

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How is Morganite Graded for Gem Quality?

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Which is Better Moissanite or Morganite?

Which is Better Moissanite or Morganite?

If you’re looking at great diamond alternatives for your engagement ring or wedding ring, Moissanite and Morganite could both be options worth considering, but what are their strengths and weaknesses?

Which is better, Moissanite or Morganite? Moissanite is the best choice, if durability is your main concern. It also has a great deal more sparkle than Morganite. Moissanite can be color treated to look similar to Morganite if desired. All Moissanite is lab made. If wearing a mined stone is important to you, Morganite may be the better fit.

If you’re still on the fence about which stone might work best for your ring, read on. I’ll get into the details that should help you come to a decision that you’ll ultimately be really happy with!

The History of Moissanite and Morganite

Morganite is a rare semi-precious stone mined from the earth. It was originally discovered in Madagascar, and along the coast of California. Madagascar and Brazil have had the largest deposits, but it has also been mined in Afghanistan, China, Africa, Russia and the US.

A Gemologist by the name of George Kunz proposed that the stone be renamed after his friend and client JP Morgan. The change was approved, and the beautiful new stone was given the banking tycoon’s name.

Like Emerald and Aquamarine, Morganite is from the Beryl family. In fact, prior to being renamed in 1911, Morganite was known as Pink Beryl or Rose Beryl.

Morganite is a birthstone for people born between October 22 and November 20. It’s primarily known for its elegant peachy-pink coloring.

Natural Moissanite is far more rare than Morganite. It was discovered in 1893 as a Chemist was studying the site of a meteorite impact. He believed that some small crystals he found were diamond, but years later was able to identify them as Silicon Carbide. The stone that Silicon Carbide forms is an extremely hard, and similar in appearance to diamond. The stone was named Moissanite in honor of this Chemist, Henri Moissan.

The site of meteorite strikes is still one of the only places that Moissanite can be found. When it is found, it’s only found in small quantities. If only natural Moissanite was sold for jewelry, it would be unbelievably expensive because of its scarcity. Fortunately, Moissanite can be manufactured in labs, making it both available and affordable. In fact, 100% of the Moissanite used in jewelry is lab created.

Color Facts and Options

If you want something for your engagement or wedding ring that’s a little non-traditional, Morganite may be a beautiful option. Its color is often a fusion of pink and peach, though it can vary in specific shade. The natural color comes from the influence of the mineral Manganese in the gem.

Morganite can be especially stunning when paired with a rose gold band. The color of the gem and the metal just complement each other so well!

Moissanite is a stone that naturally comes in shades ranging form clear and colorless to some hue of yellow or brown. They can also be colored by various processes to take on nearly any coloring that you’d like. As with Diamonds, the clearest stones sell at a premium.

Neither Moissanite or Morganite should have ring color that fades, or otherwise changes with time. Having said that, Morganite often has an appearance change. It isn’t necessarily a change in color though,  and it can be remedied or avoided. Read about clouding below to learn more.

Moissanite and Morganite as Diamond Alternatives

Mined diamonds are expensive. Lab created diamonds cost less, but even those may be outside the reach of many. While some truly can’t afford a the price tag for a diamond, others decide that just can’t justify the cost. There are so many other areas of their life that they’d rather park the money that a diamond engagement ring would require.

The decide instead to purchase a diamond simulant like Moissanite or Morganite that are beautiful in their own right. Either ring costs a fraction of what a diamond of similar size and quality would, so they can use their savings to pay down debt, cover other wedding expenses, get into a home, or save for the future.

For many, Morganite looks like a pink diamond. But there are some differences in the two gems. If you’re looking for a simulant that looks as much like a diamond as possible, Moissanite would be a much better alternative. In terms of appearance and durability, it’s probably the best look alike available.

If you like the color of the Morganite, but otherwise want the brilliant diamond like look of a cut Moissanite, you can purchase a pink Moissanite in the shade you like best. The colored Moissanite is like having your cake, and eating it too!

Comparing Sparkle

If you want a sparkly ring, cut is a critical consideration. If fact, it’s the most critical consideration. An Emerald cut is beautiful, but it’s intended to display the clarity of the stone…not sparkle. Make sure you get the cut that accentuates the right the qualities that you want to display most.

Sparkle is an area where Moissanite and Morganite are fairly different. Well cut Morganite is beautiful and sparkles, but not to the degree of Moissanite. My mom is the biggest fan of sparkle I know. She loves glitter, sequins, and anything that flashes brilliantly.

Knowing that, if my mother was trying to decide between Morganite and Moissanite for a replacement wedding ring, I would strongly recommend Moissanite. It has greater fire and brilliance. She would love moving her hand back and forth under light and watching the sparkles dance across her ring.

The Durability of both Gems

In order to objectively talk about durability, we need to understand the hardness of both stones. Mohs Scale of Hardness is a 10 point scale that identifies how hard particular minerals are in relation to other items.

To make the scale, NAME Mohs gathered ten minerals, arranged them in order of hardness and then assigned a number to each mineral, with 1 going to Talc (the softest material) and 10 being assigned to diamond (the hardest) for example.

The system provides a helpful way to communicate about the hardness of a material, but it isn’t perfect. For example an item with a rating of 8.5 seems to be nearly as hard an item that has a rating of 9, but that isn’t necessarily the case. The numbers aren’t evenly spaced.

The scale really just shows arrangement, meaning that higher numbered minerals could scratch lower numbered minerals, but lower numbered minerals can’t scratch higher numbered minerals.

On the Mohs Scale, Morganite is rated a 7.5 to 8, while Moissanite is a 9.25. While Morganite isn’t considered a soft stone, it’s substantially softer than Moissanite. That means that it’s more likely to pick up accidental scratches as you go about your everyday life. I recently heard from an office worker that absolutely adores  her Morganite engagement ring, but she was shocked that it collects little scratches as she goes about her normal daily routine.

Moissanite is an incredibly hard gem that’s extremely scratch resistant. Notice that I didn’t say scratch proof. It’s even possible to scratch a diamond, but the harder the stone in your ring, the less likely it is that your gem will get scratched.

In addition to scratching, softer gems are also more prone to chipping. It’s a good idea to look for a setting that will protect your stone as much as possible. Sometimes a diamond halo around your Morganite stone can be both beautiful to look at and functional for protection of your center stone.

Maintaining Your Gem

As small scratches accumulated on the surface of your ring over time, it can have a real muting effect on the original sparkle that you loved about your e-ring.  If you go with a Morganite and find that it collects small scratches over time, you can always have the stone repolished down the road. That process should restore the ring to its original beauty.

It’s very common for Morganite to get cloudy. It can happen in just days, but know that it’s a problem that has an easy solution. Dirt and oils are typically the things that cause morganite to cloud up. The best way to address the issue, is to carefully wash your ring at least one every week or two.

Start by soaking your ring for a few minutes in warm water. Warm is best. It starts the process of loosening up gunk without shocking your ring with extreme temperatures. Next, grab some mild dish soap and a soft baby toothbrush (the softer the better). Scrub the ring thoroughly, but gently, with the warm soapy water. Be patient and make sure to get all the way around the gem if you can.

Natural oils from your hands and dirt from your environment combine and get lodged under your stone and all around your prongs. The oil dulls the look of your ring, so taking the time to scrub it out will help bring the sparkle back.

One you finish scrubbing the ring, rinse it well and then dab it as dry as possible with a soft and clean towel. Finally, use a hairdryer on a cool or warm setting to finish drying the ring in all it’s corners and crevices. Cleaning your ring regularly will help it maintain the beautiful color and sparkle that you originally fell in love with.

Here are some other best practices for protecting your engagement ring. They’re valuable regardless of what your e-ring is made of, but the guidelines are especially important if you’re wearing Morganite to keep it from getting cloudy.

  • Don’t wear your ring in the shower.
  • Take off your ring before doing your hair.
  • Don’t wear your ring while doing the dishes or other house work (especially those that put your hand in contact with chemicals or cleaning agents).
  • Remove your ring before applying hand sanitizer or hand lotion. Wait 10 minutes or so before putting it back on afterward.

Morganite could be a ring that you wear everyday if you stay on top of maintenance and are careful with it, but many people have chosen to have more than one ring, and to wear theri beautiful Morganite just occasionally when they have a special occasion or it fits a particular outfit well.

Cost Comparisons

As you start shopping for your engagement ring, you’ll notice a wide range of prices. You have to be really careful. Often when something seems too good to be true, it is. If a 6.5mm (approximately 1 carat) Moissanite or Morganite stone is being sold for $12, for example, you’re likely to actually get some form of glass or plastic that looks like the stone, but isn’t. It’s a waste of your time and money.

At the other extreme, you may find retailers that list a similar 6.5 mm stone for $1,200. Some retailers have higher markups than others. Don’t get discouraged if you see some really expensive stones for sale out there. There may be legitimate reasons for the high price of some of the stones you see, but chances are, that you’ll be able to find something that fits your budget well if you keep looking.

I just did a quick search of some reputable retailers and found the following prices for 1 carat stones with size and quality that was as similar as possible.

  • Diamond: $4200
  • Moissanite: $300
  • Morganite: $300

These are pretty average rates for quality stones with good color, but some may be a little higher or a little lower. If you find stones that are way higher or way lower, you should spend a little more time investigating the quality of the gem that you’re looking at and the reputation of the company offering it.

Related Questions:

Does Morganite Have Healing Properties?

There’s a great deal of lore in various cultures regarding Morganite. It’s thought of as a gem that facilitates increased relaxation and health. It’s believed to help with energy flow through the body. Based on many years of legend, it’s believed that Morganite can keep you safe while traveling and provide a host of benefits to your emotional and physical well-being, including:

  • The ability to maintain a positive disposition during times of extreme stress.
  • An increase in emotional connection with others.
  • Improving the oxygen supply to the cells of your body.
  • Improvement of energy levels.

While you may or may not notice all of those benefits as you enjoy wearing your beautiful Morganite ring, it adds to the charm and meaning of your ring.

Which Diamond Alternatives are Most Durable?

If you want a colored stone, but would like to explore additional options, you may want to also look into Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, and Topaz. While not as hard as Moissanite, all of these gems are at least as hard as Morganite, and are among the more scratch resistant gems available.  

How  Resistant  is Morganite to Heat?

All Beryls seem to sensitive to extreme heat. Their color can fade if exposed to heat above 932 degree fahrenheit. While that won’t affect the way you wear the ring, Jewelers do have to cautious with the use of soldering irons around Morganite and other members of the Beryl family.

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How is Morganite Graded for Gem Quality?

The Difference Between a Promise Ring and an Engagement Ring