Kunzite: Kunzite is a rare and unusual gemstone ranging from nearly colorless to rich electric pink. It is found in California, Brazil and Afghanistan. It is possible to find very large pieces of kunzite (even up to 40 carats). The larger pieces usually exhibit deeper color – compounding their value. Kunzite gemstones must be protected from the sun, prolonged exposure to bright lights or extreme heat as this will cause the color to fadeThe most valuable kunzite is large (over 20 carats) with rich vibrant saturated pink color and perfect clarity.
Most important things:
Color: Color is the most important feature of a kunzite is assessing its value. This is both the hue of the stone and the saturation. The most valuable color of kunzite is a warm pink that tends toward orange or peach (vs. purple). Other possible hues are green and yellow. Highly saturated colors are more valuable than pale colors.
Clarity: Clarity is the second most important feature that determines the value of a kunzite. Perfectly clear stones are very rare. Perfectly clear large stones are exceptionally rare. The clarity of a kunzite gemstone can make a 500% difference in the price, all other factors being equal.
Size: Unlike many gemstones, huge kunzite gems are not outrageously rare. It is possible to find kunzite gems over 50 carats. The average size of a kunzite in jewelry is about 10 carats.
Cut: Kunzite gems are unusual in that the skill of the cutter not only affects the sparkle, but the color. The gem has to be oriented correctly so that the strongest color shows. A well cut kunzite will also sparkle endlessly. The facets will be even and symmetric, meeting at points.
Fakes and treatments: Kunzite cannot be grown in a lab so there is no synthetic kunzite. However, Kunzite is sometimes imitated. These kunzite imitations range from borderline fraud to downright criminal. Watch for terms like “Kunzite quartz”, “Kunzite Cz” etc. These materials have nothing to do with kunzite gemstones: when you see these kinds of phrases, just replace the word “kunzite” with “pink”. Less reputable dealers will sell everything from pink glass, to pink synthetic spinel or synthetic corundum or man-made quartz and try to pass it off as kunzite. Your surest defense here is to compare clarity and price. If you see a large hot pink stone with perfect clarity being sold as “kunzite” for less than $100, you should be ready to assume it’s fake.
Imitations: pink glass and synthetic pink corundum are used to imitate kunzite. It is not possible to synthesize (or “lab create” ) kunzite