Pink has become one of the most popular colors in gemstones. But many pink gems, such as sapphire and spinel, can only be found in small sizes, typically under 2 carats. You can often find pink tourmaline in sizes between 5 and 10 carats, but if you're looking for a very large pink gemstone for a cocktail ring or a pendant, your best choice is kunzite.

Kunzite is still unknown to many gemstone buyers. But the gemstone world began to pay attention to kunzite when they learned of a 47 carat kunzite ring that President John F. Kennedy had purchased for his wife, Jacqueline. He never had the chance to give her the ring before his tragic death in 1963. The kunzite ring sold for more than $410,000 at a Sotheby's auction of the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1996.

Kunzite is the pale pink-violet to light violet species of the mineral spodumene. It is a good hard stone (6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale) with a vitreous luster and good transparency, so it suitable for all kinds of jewelry. It is typically a very light pink or lilac, though we occasionally see some more saturated pinks. We've also found some interesting pieces in an unusual golden pink.

Though most of the fine kunzite in today's market comes from Pakistan and Afghanistan, the gemstone was first discovered in the USA. It was named as a tribute to George F. Kunz, the legendary American mineralogist and buyer for Tiffany & Co, who first described the gem in 1902. Interestingly, the green form of spodumene was also first discovered in the USA, and was named after another American, W.E. Hidden.

Kunzite is strongly pleochroic, meaning there is a color intensity variation when a crystal of it is viewed from different directions. The top and bottom of the crystal reveal the deepest colors. Kunzite is challenging to cut to ensure that the light passes through the gem and accents the desired color.

Kunzite can often be found in sizes over 20 carats, and we occasionally see pieces as large as 50 carats. These days it often receives a portuguese cut, since the extra facets of this cut enhances its brilliance. Most of the kunzite we find is quite clean, and it is not unusual to find large pieces that have no visible inclusions at all, even under magnification.

Fancy making your own jewellery? Check out this cool video from Make Jewellery Magazine:

Why opt for any other colour than pink when choosing your beautiful necklaces, bracelets and rings? Not only is pink the colour immediately associated with females, giving your pieces a perfect feminine touch, but the many shades that pink produces adds the perfect finish to almost every hair and skin tone of today's jewellery consumers.

From baby pink and cherry blossom to French rose and fuchsia, there is a shade to suit everyone and every outfit too, even in the most subtle way. Yet pink is not as popular within the jewellery market as it should be and it seems consumers are beginning to forget the many different designs of jewellery in which they can find this glamorous colour!

A little pink stone featured in beautiful diamond rings can be the perfect touch to any gift for the feminine woman, or as an addition to the original colourless diamond. Pink diamonds are becoming extremely popular in the celeb world with customers seeking new and unusual designs within jewellery and divas wishing to pronounce their girlie antics with a tiny dog by their side.

There isn't a shade of metal that pink does not compliment and even gold engagement rings continue to look classy with a baby pink shade in the centre or touches of it across the design.

Earrings can also look very cutesy and petit with a hint of pink to them and because of this fact it means that shades such as baby pink can be carried across nearly every age from toddler to adult simply because it is not overpowering. Bracelets are similar to this effect and even for the simplest of tastes, there are designs featuring plain bands with hints of small pink diamonds or even a slight pink tone to the metal of the item itself.

Necklaces are the most beautiful of all in this colour and are designed in so many different sizes and shapes that it is often hard to make a decision of which to buy. Many feature a small heart design made of small pink stones or subtle shapes of colours like squares or circles. Expensive jewellery rarely comes in loud shades of shocking pink or hot magenta but these colours are often found in fashion jewellery or cheaper alternatives.

If its subtle necklaces, feminine diamond engagement rings, diva style bracelets or even a watch to show your girlie side that you’re searching for, think jewellery, think pink!!

Gerald