Morganite Rings With a Hint of Pink and Plenty of Wow
Morganite brings an ethereal pastel paleness to several Bario Neal handcrafted ethical rings -- from solitaires to custom designed clusters -- that have been a hit with our clients. They love that pink-to-peachy neutral morganite is durable enough for everyday wear and accessibly priced.
Never heard of morganite? You’re not alone. In 2018, news site Vox called it the “engagement ring gemstone that everyone is buying but nobody is talking about.” (Many like the stone as an alternative to a white diamond because they’re drawn to the restrained pink for just a bit of color and the look of something different than the traditional solitaire diamond engagement ring.) But even though it’s not as recognizable as some gemstones, in addition to working beautifully as a solitaire ring like Bario Neal’s Kalmia Rose Cut Morganite Ring, morganite works well in cluster rings like our Burst Cluster Morganite with Diamond Ombré Ring, as well as in linear designs. Morganite works with colored stones like sapphires, as well as white diamonds, opals, and champagne diamonds.
Morganite is a member of the Beryl family of minerals -- the same family that emeralds and aquamarine belong to. However, unlike emeralds, which commonly have a lot of inclusions, morganites are readily available without flaws that can be seen by the naked eye and they stand out for clarity as well as their color. Morganite, which Bario Neal sources from a sustainable, ethical mine in Brazil that has been in the same family for generations, is also rarer than aquamarine. After it was discovered in 1911 in Madagascar, gemologist George Kunz proposed the name “morganite” for the stone in honor of banker and gem collector J.P Morgan. At between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, morganites aren’t quite as hard as diamonds, says Aliyah Gold, Bario Neal Gemstone + Custom Design Specialist, “but with proper jewelry care, they can certainly withstand everyday wear.” She says “the subdued pink is really a neutral that can go with anything. I've had clients do beautiful custom designs with morganite and gemstones in blue-greens.”
Bario Neal Sales Director Ariel Yaroslawitz is working with a couple on a custom designed cluster ring with morganite for an engagement ring. “They have an heirloom diamond that they're using as a center stone, and she wanted a soft color palette,” Ariel says. Complementing the diamond, several round cut morganites are the perfect accent stones along with champagne diamond side stones and a peachy-colored sapphire. Plus, Bario Neal sourced an emerald cut morganite to add a different shape and dimension to the cluster. The setting is 14kt yellow gold. “Morganite tends to look richer in yellow and rose gold,” Ariel says. “White gold tends to soften the color intensity of the stone, but all metals work with morganite.”
5-Plus Reasons to Love Morganite Rings
1. Our larger-than-life Kalmia Rose Cut Morganite Ring is a classic solitaire ring with a rose cut morganite set in elegant pointed prongs. “The Kalmia Rose Cut Morganite Ring is one of the larger solitaires in our collection and actually the first oval shape solitaire in our collection that’s designed vertically in a traditional setting,” Ariel says. “It's accessibly priced and you get a nice, classic large look. It's great for people who want a little color in their ring and don’t want a diamond. It also has a low profile and the ring shank is really nice and smooth and rounded.”
Aliyah says she appreciates the Kalmia’s low profile -- and the special treatment that the morganite gets in this design. “The stone is custom cut for us at the exact dimensions for that ring design. The seller takes a larger stone and cuts it into that exact rose cut shape for the Kalmia for us,” Aliyah explains. Rose cuts are typically flat on the bottom and have the faceting only on top. What makes the stone in the Kalmia so dynamic is that it has facets underneath too, which means it can take in the light nicely.
If you love the Kalmia but you’re shopping for a solitaire ring with a smaller stone, our Nikko Mini Morganite Marquise Ring has a horizontally prong set marquise morganite that’s elegant and understated. If you prefer a more striking shape, check out our Aira Oko Morganite Marquise Ring and Aira Morganite Ring.
2. Burst Cluster Morganite with Diamond Ombré Ring: This prong-set cluster ring shines with eight ethically sourced stones that give this design its ombré look. You’ve probably seen at least one ombré hair coloring shot on Instagram (or, OK, 100). The French word means “shaded” and refers to the gradual blending of one color to another -- in other words, perfect for neutral morganite. In our Burst Cluster Morganite with Diamond Ombré Ring, a round morganite is at the center, surrounded by a smaller morganite, and champagne diamonds and white diamonds. Tip: If you love this color palette and the look of cluster rings but want a simpler design, don’t miss our Eaves Cluster Opal with Morganite Ring and Eaves Cluster White Sapphire Oval with Morganite Ring.
3. “The Sway Cluster Morganite, Diamond and Sapphire Ombré Ring is one of our new cluster pieces, and my current new favorite in our collection,” Aliyah says. She worked with a client on a cluster ring with blue sapphires and pear cut stones - this inspiration grew into our Sway Cluster Morganite, Diamond and Sapphire Ombré Ring. We developed this design in subdued pink morganite and voila! “There’s a lovely delicacy to the cluster, where some of our clusters are bolder due to their stone sizes. This is just a really sweet cluster, but still has a hint of a more ornate look.” We love how the two fuchsia sapphires add a powerful contrast to playing with pink in this design.
4. “My favorite Bario Neal collection ring with morganite is the Linear Diamond with Morganite Ring,” Ariel says. “I like the linear design with all white diamonds and adding the morganite and champagne diamonds to this ring softens the look and still has plenty of sparkle, with a little bit of color.”
5. While morganite might not have the name recognition of diamonds, emeralds, and rubies, the stone has given us plenty of design ideas over the years. One ring that shows the magnitude of our fascination with morganite: the bold Stellium Morganite with Diamond Halo Ring, which shows the pretty pale morganite off to the world in a halo setting of 22 diamonds.
3 Inspiring Custom Designed Rings with Morganite
1. This Custom Linear Cluster Garnet, Ruby and Morganite Ring is an example of how glimmering pinkish and red hues and brightly colored stones complement morganite. The cluster has an oval red garnet and round red garnet and two round rubies, with the two round morganites in 14kt rose gold with a matte finish.
2. Based on our Eaves Cluster White Sapphire Oval with Morganite Ring, this Custom Eaves Cluster Champagne Diamond and Morganite Ring gets fancy with fancy cuts. The stately cushion cut champagne diamond at the center gleams among a pear cut morganite, a princess cut diamond, and a round champagne diamond.
3. Not all jewelers use heirloom stones in custom designs, but the Bario Neal team loves the chance to create with these storied gems. A client’s heirloom diamond was the start for this Custom Morganite, Spinel, and Heirloom Diamond Cluster Ring. Custom designing with heirloom gemstones is a meaningful way to create a ring that honors the past and stays true to the modern you. Bonus: You might “discover” new gemstones, like morganite, while working with us.
To see our morganite collection rings in person or to work with our team on a custom design with morganite, make an appointment today to visit our showrooms in Philadelphia or New York City. We also work with clients internationally through virtual appointments to handcraft custom designed and personalized rings. If you’re shopping our rings online and see a design you love that doesn’t have morganite, you can personalize Bario Neal collection rings with that and many other ethical gemstones too. Get started by filling out our Custom Design Questionnaire.