Madagascar kunzite is the pink to lilac variety of spodumene mined from the lithium-bearing pegmatites of central Madagascar, principally in the Vakinankaratra region around Antsirabe and the Mt Ibity district. Although Afghanistan and Brazil remain the largest producers of fine kunzite, Madagascan material has supplied a steady stream of clean stones in commercial sizes since the early 20th century, with renewed interest from the 1990s onward.

Colour and character

The colour palette runs from a soft baby pink through saturated lilac and reddish-violet, with the most desirable stones showing a strong, clean pink-purple of medium to medium-dark tone. Spodumene is markedly pleochroic; well-cut stones orient the deepest colour up the table, which is why long emerald and rectangular cuts dominate the species. Refractive indices sit near 1.66 to 1.68, hardness 6.5 to 7, and the perfect cleavage in two directions makes faceting and setting demanding work.

Treatment and stability

The pink colour in kunzite is well documented to fade under prolonged exposure to strong sunlight; the colour centre responsible is light-sensitive and thermally unstable above modest temperatures. The material is therefore best treated as an evening or earring stone, not a daily ring stone, and care should be taken to avoid prolonged window display in direct light. Some Madagascan rough is irradiated to deepen colour, although the result is generally less stable than the natural pink, and the trade prefers untreated material wherever possible.

Sizes and trade

Madagascar yields large clean rough; faceted stones of 20 to 100 carats are not unusual, and museum-grade examples of several hundred carats exist. Most cutting is undertaken in Sri Lanka, India and Bangkok. Disclosure of irradiation and the well-known fade behaviour are both standard expectations from any responsible seller.