When women talk about engagement rings, almost by default, the discussion will ultimately revolve around diamond engagement rings. There’s nothing wrong with that. Inarguably, diamonds are the most sought-after ring gemstone. But if people remove their diamond blinders, they will discover that an emerald, sapphire, ruby, or morganite engagement ring can be just as adorable, breathtaking, and gorgeous.

Morganite Engagement Ring

Engagement rings are always special. They are always laden with meanings—from classic solitaires to glittering halos. But while traditional brides go for the colorless diamonds, non-traditional ones take the road less traveled and opt for alternative gems such as Morganite, among others.

Why Morganite

If you love a soft pinkish hue and a stone associated with innocence, sweetness, love, and romance and are attuned to the heart chakra, then a morganite engagement ring will fill your heart’s desire.

Morganite is a lovely gemstone belonging to the beryl family, closely related to emeralds and aquamarine. It got its name from the famous investment banker, J.P. Morgan, who had a lifelong love for gemstones.

The morganite stone, first discovered in Madagascar in 1911, comes in pink, peach, purple, rose, and salmon colors2. However, the alluring pink is more commonly used on morganite rings. This could be why the Morganite rose gold engagement ring has become trendy.

Since their discovery, these gems have gained much popularity because of their wider range of riveting colors. They exude a certain personality and look that is timeless. Because of these characteristics, Morganite has become much sought-after in contemporary engagement rings. It has become so popular that it is often called the “pink emerald.” They are also affordable, making them the choice for budget-conscious people looking for fascinating and gorgeous engagement rings and other fashion jewelry items such as earrings and pendants.

Physical Properties

Morganite has a hardness of between 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs hardness scale. Though much lower than a diamond at 10, it is still hard enough to withstand daily wear. Like most beryls, it has a vitreous luster and is relatively free of noticeable inclusions. As a center stone, its endearing pinkish hue will give a beautiful and clear appearance—a tangible symbol of innocence, romance, and love.

Healing Properties

Just like any other gemstone, Morganite is believed to possess healing properties. As calming as dawn, the stone can instantly settle your out-of-whack nervous system. It is said to cure the heart across all angles by keeping it in tip-top shape and keeping in check heart palpitation. It helps oxygen flow around the body and can lift your whole sense of well-being. Respiratory problems ebb, cells heal, and thyroid problems are minimized. It is even said to aid men with sexual dysfunction problems.

Its healing properties are manifested in these areas:

Mental and Emotional

Morganite never lets you down. It will immediately go to areas of the heart that need healing. It will stir up those emotional crisis points within your soul. It works inside, not outside of you. The stone strengthens your inner reserve and invites unconditional love to flow.

If you’re facing tough times in your life and having some troubling inner challenges that are turning things upside down, the soft pink hues of Morganite can bring you comfort. It can make you calm, put a smile on your face, and remind you that there is so much goodness, love, and light in this big, wide world.

Metaphysical

Morganite is connected to the Heart Chaka. This means that it helps keep your heart open for energy to flow.

A blocked heart can make you struggle to trust others; it makes you constantly suspicious of such things as unconditional love. And when you expect too much from your heart, it can make you harsh to yourself and others. This attitude will “block” your heart.

Morganite can take you out of this fix. It keeps your heart open and ready to receive everything from the world around you. Being connected to the Divine Heart, the stone can make you easily show compassion and understanding.

Morganite Engagement Rings

Undoubtedly, diamonds are still and will always be a timeless choice for engagement rings. Fortunately, the world has become less traditional, paving the way for people to explore other gemstones unheard of before. One such gemstone is Morganite.

Though softer than diamond, it is still hard enough to withstand the rigors of daily wear. Diamonds have a higher refractive index, which means they handle light a lot better than Morganite. But morganite engagement ring rose gold has fascinating characteristics. Some brides looking for something unique find it charming.

Morganite vs. Diamond Engagement Rings

There is no apple-to-apple comparison between the two; both have their pros and cons. So before deciding which way to go, here are some bits and pieces comparing the two that can help you decide:

Durability

In gemstones, durability, or strength, is gaged by four factors:

Hardness
This is the stone’s relative scratch resistance. As mentioned earlier, diamonds have a hardness of 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, while Morganite’s is between 7.5 and 8. Despite this, Morganite’s hardness is something to be reckoned with if you consider that emeralds, aquamarine, and topaz have the same hardness as Morganite.
Toughness
Toughness is a gem’s tenacity or resistance to breaking or bending from a hard blow—both Morganite and diamond are brittle. A tough blow could shatter both.
Cleavage
This is the weakest plane in a gemstone, which can split if given a hard blow. Weak atomic bonds cause this.
Diamonds have perfect cleavage in four directions, meaning they will split if hit with a hard blow from any angle. Morganite has a poor one-direction cleavage, making it harder to split.
Stability
Stability measures how well a gemstone can withstand exposure to chemicals, light, and changes in temperature or humidity. Extreme temperature change is one of the significant causes of gemstone damage.
Where this factor is concerned, diamonds don’t react with chemicals, while Morganite’s composition will change with exposure to hydrofluoric acid and other solvents. Extreme heat will change a morganite’s color.
Durability, however, is not solely dependent on the above factors. Gems can also be affected by how they are stored, cleaned, and maintained. These can often make a difference between having an heirloom or a chipped, dirty, ugly center stone.
Gem cut is also crucial. Pointed edges and thin girdles can easily cause a gem to chip off. Cathedral and tension settings expose a gem to a higher risk of damage.
Appearance
Morganite’s appeal rests on its subtle, romantic color, while that of a diamond is its sparkle. But appearance doesn’t stop there. Other appearance factors distinguish both. Here they are:
Color
If you are biased towards a colorless gemstone, go for white diamonds. But if you prefer a bit of color in your rock, Morganite will be a good choice. You can get a bigger stone for the same budget at a much lower price.

Of course, there are pink diamonds as well. They come in a wide range of pink and are more intense in color and hue. But they are astronomically expensive.

Morganite stones, on the other hand, are almost always pale. They are often heat-treated to enhance their color saturation (intensity).

Clarity
Clarity is the measure of the presence of inclusions in a gemstone. Diamond clarity grades are more specific and extensive than any colored gemstone in the market.
Morganite, however, has only one clarity grade type – Type 1 – meaning it is almost always without inclusion. Hence, it beats diamonds as far as clarity is concerned since diamond clarity varies from one stone to the next.
And, like diamonds, it needs to be regularly cleaned to prevent getting cloudy. Once it is cleaned, it will look shiny and sparkly again. Yes, morganites sparkle. But not as much as a diamond.
Brilliance and Fire
People love a good sparkle in their gemstones. A good sparkle is about light reflection. And an excellent light reflection produces brilliance and fire.
Brilliance describes the amount of white light reflected from inside a gemstone’s interior, expressed as the “refractive index.” The refractive index of Morganite is 1.57 to 1.60, while that of a diamond is 2.41 to 2.42. Therefore, diamonds are about 60% more brilliant than morganites.
Fire or dispersion, on the other hand, refers to the number of active light reflections (flickering like flames). Where “fire” is concerned, diamond light dispersion is at 0.044, while that of Morganite is at 0.014). In other words, diamonds produce 30% more fire than morganites.
There is one aspect, however, that Morganite is better than diamond. It is in the area of “birefringence.” Morganite is birefringent; diamonds are not. It means it can display unique visual effects like pleochroism—a gemstone property to make you see different colors from different viewing angles.

Ethical Concerns and Sustainability

Environmental protection and sustainability are hot issues these days. Global warming news hugs the media almost daily. All these prompted the implementation of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme in 2000. This international effort is to keep the diamond trade accountable and “conflict-free.”

For example, anyone in Australia who wants to export diamonds must prove that their goods are ethically procured and legitimate and have a Kimberly Process Certification. Diamonds under strict Kimberly supervision are labeled “conflict-free” or “ethical.”

For now, colored gemstones do not fall under the purview of the Kimberly Process because they are mined on a smaller scale than diamonds. Diamonds are considered large-scale with a long history of more significant ethical and environmental issues. Yes, there are unethically mined morganites, but they don’t have, just yet, the sordid history of blood diamonds.

The Perfect Morganite Engagement Ring

Perfection is unattainable, and there is no such thing as a perfect engagement ring. Instead, go by the popular saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

But even this, as simple as it may seem, causes conflicting views. People have different perceptions of things and look at things differently. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) came up with things to look into when buying a Morganite engagement ring to smooth the edges. Here they are:

Color

Most morganite engagement rings have pink center stones and are often heat-treated to increase their intensity. The natural color of rough Morganite is often pale pink, increasing in intensity for large rocks. Darker colors are more in demand but pricey, too.

Heat treatment is necessary to improve a morganite’s pink color. Heat removes the yellow or orange tinge in the stone, leaving a purer and more attractive pink. Customers can’t detect the effect of the heat treatment, and the color will not fade unless exposed to temperatures over 400 degrees C.

Clarity

Faceted Morganite often does not have eye-visible inclusion. Larger stones may display some degree of inclusions. However, some may contain liquid inclusions (liquid trapped in internal voids) and fractures.

Liquid inclusions have irregular shapes, while fractures look like bright, shiny, and flat surfaces. Look out for these things when buying a Morganite engagement ring.

Cut

The cut of a morganite gem has minimal effect on its beauty. A morganite engagement ring can be as attractive as a round brilliant, emerald, marquis, or oval cut diamond engagement ring.

And because it is softer, Morganite can be cut into unique fantasy cuts and carvings.

Carat weight

Although Morganite is available in large and affordable sizes, it is often cut in calibrated sizes to fit common engagement ring mountings.

Settings

Morganite will look just as well with popular diamond engagement ring setting styles. It can hold its own as a solitaire and looks just as glorious in a halo. A bezel setting will also be good since it is artfully framed and
protected in place.

Since it is softer than a diamond and more vulnerable to chipping and breakage, you must choose a setting that affords more protection, such as a bezel setting. If you prefer a prong setting, use four to six prongs. But these will provide less protection than a bezel. But then, it boils down to personal choice.

Morganite is an excellent choice in virtually all popular engagement ring gemstones. Its soft-pinking hue is mesmerizing, and it stands for divine love. It is believed to help reduce stress and anxiety while promoting feelings of peace and harmony. It is rare and much more valuable than most colored gemstones.

If you’re interested in flower engagement rings, read our blog, “Flower Engagement Rings Guide: Everything You Need To Know.”

How to Choose the Perfect Morganite Engagement Ring