Is Kunzite doomed to fade?

[diamondyes]

I like the colour of kunzite but I’ve read that UV exposure can cause it to fade… perhaps I should skip this stone? Go for the same colour in sapphire? Anyone have kunzite?

 

[Autumn in New England]

When I studied at the GIA, they referred to kunzite as "the evening stone." The reason being that it is safest to wear the stone at night, because it does indeed fade under intense or prolonged light or heat exposure. It's too bad, because I love the deeper orchid shades. But if you only intend to wear it for special occasions, it may be a worthwhile purchase. A lot of it is also irradiated though, so you have to be careful when purchasing.

 

[diamondyes]

When I studied at the GIA, they referred to kunzite as "the evening stone." The reason being that it is safest to wear the stone at night, because it does indeed fade under intense or prolonged light or heat exposure. It's too bad, because I love the deeper orchid shades. But if you only intend to wear it for special occasions, it may be a worthwhile purchase. A lot of it is also irradiated though, so you have to be careful when purchasing.

Oh I didn’t know that about irradiation! Does that mean it’s unsafe to wear? Or that… well what does this mean for me?

 

[stracci2000]

My lilac kunzite turned clear within a few years. That is the square cut.
And my pale minty hiddenite turned clear as well. That one is the oval cut.
I bought the stones loose.

 

[diamondyes]

My lilac kunzite turned clear within a few years. That is the square cut.
And my pale minty hiddenite turned clear as well. That one is the oval cut.
I bought the stones loose.

Oh wow! Thank you for sharing this! It definitely makes me think twice about spending serious money on kunzite…

 

[stracci2000]

Oh wow! Thank you for sharing this! It definitely makes me think twice about spending serious money on kunzite…

I should mention that I bought these stones about 20 years ago. At that time, I was not educated about the possible loss of color!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I should mention that I bought these stones about 20 years ago. At that time, I was not educated about the possible loss of color!

Is there anything you can do to get the colour back???

I've heard that with padparadschas you can sun them. Obviously you can't sun this but I wonder if there's anything one can do.

It's an intriguing stone!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Oh I didn’t know that about irradiation! Does that mean it’s unsafe to wear? Or that… well what does this mean for me?

Oh sorry, no they're perfectly safe to wear; it just means that the color origin is not natural (they're enhanced). But they're prone to fading too, along with untreated kunzite. So it's a personal choice.

@stracci2000 Great example! Thank you for sharing!! Still lovely pieces though. I have a kunzite, aqua, and diamond necklace in white gold. It never left its box, because I was so afraid of fading. lol I should break it out to wear to dinner some night.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Is there anything you can do to get the colour back???

I've heard that with padparadschas you can sun them. Obviously you can't sun this but I wonder if there's anything one can do.

It's an intriguing stone!

This is a great question... yes, some pads have yellow color centers that fade under certain lighting, but then return (unstable color). Once kunzite's color fades (and it can go from a deep orchid to colorless), it does not return. I suppose you could have them irradiated to create color again, but I'm not sure that's feasible or worth the trouble.

 

[PrecisionGem]

From a cutters standpoint, kunzite can be a real PITA to polish. Many cutters, including myself, have cut one, and said never again! Not worth the time to get a good polish.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

From a cutters standpoint, kunzite can be a real PITA to polish. Many cutters, including myself, have cut one, and said never again! Not worth the time to get a good polish.

Ooh why is it hard to polish? And just out of curiosity what is an easier stone to polish? I find this fascinating!

 

[autumngems]

I have a beautiful emerald cut but I hesitate to set it for this reason.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Ooh why is it hard to polish? And just out of curiosity what is an easier stone to polish? I find this fascinating!

It scratches like crazy. Tinny pieces come away and scratch the facet.

I find sapphires to be the easiest stone to polish. Quartz, although most hobby cutters cut quartz since it's one of the less expensive stones to buy in the rough, especially if you are not buying the very best colors, can also be more difficult to cut and polish. Quartz gums up the cutting laps, and can be a little tricky to polish.