Kunzite Specimen Precious Stone Necklace

It was in 1902 that a Tiffany and Co. mineralogist by the name of George Frederick Kunz first thoroughly described kunzite.  The gem was originally discovered in Connecticut, but the first large deposit was found in the San Diego area of California. Kunz determined this gemstone was an existing crystal family called spodumene, but the unique pinkish to purple color had been previously unrecognized, making kunzite unique. The next year, in 1903, a chemistry professor named kunzite in honor of Mr. Kunz.

Since kunzite's discovery, the gem has experienced growing fame especially in high-end jewelry due to its large size and natural clarity despite its perfect cleavage sometimes making cutting difficult.