A morganite bead necklace is a strand of morganite, the pink to peach variety of beryl, cut into beads and strung or knotted into a necklace, and it belongs to the same mineral family as aquamarine and emerald. The best strands show soft, even pink color with good clarity and sparkle, and because morganite and aquamarine are sister stones, they look lovely together on one strand.
Morganite is one of those stones that I think people fall for slowly and then all at once, because the color is so gentle in a photo and then you see it move in the light and it glows this warm blush pink that looks good on just about everyone, so I wanted to put together what I look for when I'm choosing morganite beads for a strand.
What is morganite, and how is it related to aquamarine?
Morganite is a beryl, the same mineral as aquamarine and emerald, and the difference between them comes down to tiny amounts of other elements in the crystal. In morganite, traces of manganese give it that pink, peach or salmon color, while iron is what turns beryl into the blue of aquamarine. The stone was named in the early 1900s after the banker and gem collector J.P. Morgan, which is a fun little piece of history to know the next time you wear it.
Because it is a beryl, morganite is a durable stone for everyday jewelry, sitting around 7.5 to 8 on the hardness scale, so a morganite strand can be worn often without the worry you might have with softer stones. If you want to read more about the blue side of the family, I wrote about aquamarine and its history in Water of the Sea, Aquamarine.
What should I look for in a morganite bead necklace?
The first thing I look at is color, and with morganite I'm always looking for pink that feels alive rather than washed out, whether it leans toward a cool rosy pink or a warmer peachy blush. Pale stones can be beautiful, especially faceted ones, because the facets catch the light and keep the color from looking flat, but I want each bead to have enough color that the strand reads as pink from across the room and not just up close.
The second thing is the cut. Faceted morganite beads sparkle in a way that smooth beads simply can't, and in a strand the sparkle adds up bead after bead until the whole necklace seems to twinkle when you move. I also look at how evenly the beads are sized and drilled, since a strand of well matched beads hangs smoothly and sits nicely against the collarbone.
Last, I look at how the strand is finished. A knot between every bead protects each stone from rubbing against its neighbor and keeps the beads from scattering if the strand were ever to break, and I go into all of that in why gemstone necklaces are knotted with silk. Solid gold findings, a good clasp and silk that complements the stones are the details that make a strand something you can wear for years.
Can you mix morganite and aquamarine on one necklace?
Yes, and it's one of my favorite combinations, because the two stones are the same mineral in two different colors, so they share the same sparkle and the same soft, clean look. My Soft Spectrum strand is exactly this, faceted aquamarine and morganite in soft blue and pale pink tones that shift naturally from bead to bead, so as you look along the strand the color drifts from one stone into the other.
The beads are approximately 6.5mm, which is a balanced size that works easily on its own or layered with other necklaces, and the strand is 19.75 inches long. I hand knotted it on light blue silk, which picks up the aquamarine and lets the pink beads glow against it, and finished it with 14k gold, including a cast lobster clasp and links. It's one of one, and it's $1,550.
How do you wear and care for a morganite strand?
A strand in soft pink and blue is about as easy to wear as a necklace gets, because those colors go with denim, white, cream, gray and pretty much any neutral you reach for, and they also look sweet layered with gold chains or a charm necklace. A length around 19 to 20 inches sits just below the collarbone on most people, which is a flattering spot for everyday wear.
For care, my rule is to put your strand on last, after lotion, perfume and hairspray, and take it off first, before showering, swimming or working out. Wipe the stones with a soft cloth when you take it off and store it flat or loosely coiled in its box so the silk isn't stretched. Keeping silk dry is the main thing, since water can weaken it over time, and if you wear your strand often it's a good idea to have it restrung every so often to keep the knots snug.
Where can I find more morganite and aquamarine pieces?
Since morganite and aquamarine are sisters, I keep them together, and you can see everything currently available in my aquamarine and beryl collection. If you love the icy blue side of the family, my faceted aquamarine heishi strand has 192 long, icy faceted aquamarine beads, approximately 5 to 9mm, knotted on light blue silk with a 14k gold lobster clasp and French wire I coil by hand, 20.25 inches long, and it's $2,600.
And if it's the pink that has your heart, my Vivid Pink Tourmaline Worry Fish necklace is a brighter, juicier pink, with 4mm faceted pink tourmaline that is exceptionally clean for tourmaline and a solid 14k gold Worry Fish right in the center, 16 inches long, and it's $865. Pink tourmaline and morganite are both gentle pinks, but side by side the tourmaline reads bold and bright while morganite stays soft and blushy, so it really comes down to which pink makes you happiest.
