Even if you consider yourself the most conservative person and would rather the subtlest accessories, you will agree with us that you’d like a little sparkling sumth.’ But what happens when you cannot afford the very best diamonds and you’re presented with what’s considered the next-best thing, but at a friendlier price? Would you take it?
While you may be fixated on the idea of diamonds for a long time – perhaps it’s always been your dream from childhood, you should also be willing to welcome the idea of something differently spectacular. One such stone is the morganite. If this is the very first time that you’re hearing about this stone, you’ll be happy to know that it is nothing alien and a stone that you may actually like more than the diamond. It’s not that cheap, though.
In this article, we’re taking you through everything you need to know about morganite rings, why it’s expensive, and whether it’s a good option for you or not.
But, first things first…
What is a morganite stone?
Morganite stone can be defined as a semi-precious, light-colored, medium-light to a dark pink clean gemstone that belongs to the beryl family of gemstones. The beryl family of gemstones is a family of gemstones to which the aquamarine and the emeralds belong.
This colored semi-precious gemstone gets its pink colors and the pinkish tinges from the presence of trace amounts of manganese in the stone. Notably, this stone makes a great option for jewelry stones, just like the best of the beryls. In addition to the pink colors, morganite can also be found in a variety of other stunning but subtle colors, such as salmon, purple, peach, and rose. Morganites in deeper shades of pink also exist, but they tend to be significantly rare and much more valuable.
This stunning pink-hued stone was discovered in 1911 along Madagascar’s coast by Tiffany & Co.’s Kunz and J.P Morgan’s assistant. The stone was subsequently named after J.P Morgan the financier, and hobbyist mineral collector.
This semi-precious gemstone scores about 7.5 – 8 on the Mohs scale, which makes it a tad softer than diamonds and being a lot more prone to scratching than other gemstones. As a result, anyone wearing a morganite ring would want to be careful about the other metals and stones next to the morganite. If you have a diamond or even quartz or sapphires, the morganite will get scratched rather easily.
The upside is that despite being softer than diamonds, they are much cheaper than diamonds. But they are not bottom of the barrel cheap.
In the astrology world, Morganite is a stone that holds special meaning, and alongside its physical beauty attributes, it hosts a number of divine attributes like assurance, compassion, and even healing. It’s also believed to be a great stress reliever and also a mood lifter that will make you feel more positive. Wearing a morganite ring is, therefore, more than wearing a stunning piece of jewelry; it is considered a great way for you to infuse positivity, great values, and good vibes into your life.
But can you really afford the morganite?
Is morganite an expensive gemstone? Is morganite a precious stone?
As mentioned above, a morganite is a semi-precious gemstone, which is the case because the morganite is not as rare as the sapphire, diamond, ruby, or emerald, which are the only actual gemstones. Morganite falls in the same category as all other colored stones like topaz, Tanzanites, quartz, etc. With this in mind, the Morganite is obviously cheaper than precious gemstones like sapphires.
However, the semi-precious state of this stone doesn’t mean that it has no value. Morganite stones and rings can be very valuable, especially the ones with deeper and more unique colors/ hues – this is why some of the smaller morganites with a great color profile will be valued higher than the larger stones that are perhaps, paler.
The great qualities of the stone, the unique color profile, and the relative durability of the stone are the top reasons why this stone is now considered to be one of the preferred alternatives to diamonds. It has a nice sparkle too, but at a lower price.
So, does this mean that the morganite is an affordable or expensive gemstone? Well, the morganite is relatively affordable. A high-quality morganite with great color goes for only a tenth the cost of the same carat and quality diamond. And with pink diamonds known o cost a lot more than sparkly white diamonds, morganite is considered to be the inexpensive alternative to diamonds.
Most of the high-quality pink morganites cost about $300 for one-carat pieces, even with custom cuts, while a diamond of the same size and cut could go for at least $3,250/carat or higher. The ironic twist about the morganite is that, unlike the diamonds, the rarity of this pink stone is the reason for its relative affordability.
But when all is said and done, morganite is one of the more expensive semi-precious gemstones.
Why is morganite so expensive?
Here are the reasons for morganite’s high price tag:
- Demand and supply
Economic state is what really determines how much you pay for a product or service. And when it comes to morganite stones, which can be ridiculously expensive, the forces of demand and supply result in the high price tag.
Unlike diamonds which are in large supply but are sold in a marker that is carefully controlled and orchestrated to create a feeling of scarcity, the morganite stone is actually scarce, and this automatically drives up the price of the morganite. The morganites market is not under any kind of control by cartels, and the low demand is natural, which leads to naturally high prices.
- Increased demand
There has been a steady rise in the demand for morganite in the market over time, and it keeps increasing. The supply is still low, though, hence the higher prices and the fact that the prices are expected to keep climbing.
- Sense of exclusivity
Not everyone is aware of the existence of the morganite, and not everyone aware of its existence wears it. So, the few that actually wear it are in this exclusive club of morganite ring lovers and wearers, and there is a sense of exclusivity in there, somewhere.
- Color
The unique color of the morganite is what drives up the price of this stone, especially for the stones that come in unique colors. The natural (unique or unexpected) coloring on these stones is what adds value to the stones. Bear in mind that colored diamonds are considered the most expensive versions of diamonds.
Is morganite worth buying?
If you are looking for a stunning, relatively affordable, and perhaps unexpected stone option for your engagement ring, we would recommend morganite. It is durable, stylish, modern, trendy, and it makes stunning engagement rings.
Conclusion
So, if you are looking for a morganite, we’d recommend it. Just keep in mind that it is not an indestructible stone, and it would be scratched by something harder like the diamond or sapphire. Even so, it is a worthy purchase. And if you take good care of it, you may resell it for a little money – it will be less than the purchase price, but not a throw-away price.
Related Q&A
Is morganite more expensive than diamonds?
No, morganite is much cheaper than diamonds, and a morganite weighing the same carat weight as a diamond and with the same custom cut would go for 1/10 the cost of the diamond. The morganite is rarer than the diamonds, though. For example, a piece of high-quality morganite (1 carat) will go for about $300, but you will spend up to $4,000 or more on a diamond with the same features and size.
Is morganite more expensive than aquamarine?
Since morganite, especially the deep-pink variant, is the most desired version of morganite and the other pinks are equally stunning and in high demand than the green/blue-hued aquamarine, it goes without saying that the morganite is much more expensive than the aquamarine.
But again, the color and the source of the stones matter. The rarest of aquamarines can be more expensive than some morganite stones.
Is morganite more expensive than sapphire?
No. Sapphire (peach, blue, etc.) is much more expensive than the morganite. This is primarily because sapphires are precious stones that retain their value forever (pretty much), while the morganite is a precious stone that tends to lose some of its value, especially because it is prone to scratching.
Is morganite more expensive than moissanite?
Moissanite is regarded as the perfect cheap alternative for diamonds, and it almost passes for the diamond, which is why it comes at a high price tag. It’s as stunning and durable as a diamond, which means that it costs more than the morganite.
A carat of morganite is sold for about $300 on average, while a carat of the moissanite averages $600 to $700.
Is morganite more expensive than amethyst?
Yes. The reason for this is that morganite is considered a mid-range semi-precious gemstone in the same category as the aquamarine and peridot, while amethyst is categorized as an affordable gemstone that is in the same class as the garnet, topaz, or citrine.
Conclusion
The rarity, uniqueness, and stunning nature of this beryl gemstone is the reason why it is an expensive semi-precious gemstone. It is, however, worth the price tag.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.