Kunzite is a variety of the mineral spodumene, and is pale pink to lilac in color. It was named after George Kunz, a legendary gemologist and a one time gem buyer for Tiffany & Co. Kunz wrote a book called ‘The Curious Lore of Precious Stones’, which is a collection of legends about gems he encountered in his travels around the globe.

The first commercially significant deposit of Kunzite was discovered in 1902 in the Pala region of California, though it was first officially found in Connecticut, USA. It is also found in association with other pinkish gemstones such as Morganite and Pink Tourmaline. It is mostly mined now in Brazil, Afghanistan, and Madagascar.

Kunzite shows its color best in large sizes, of at least ten carats. The largest faceted Kunzite is an 880 specimen found in the Smithsonian Museum. Like Quartz, Kunzite has a hardness of 7 and is very durable, though it does have cleavage which can be weak if struck hard. Heat and strong light can affect its coloration.