Morganite is the official gem of Madagascar. Morganite is also sometimes known as vorobevite. Morganite was actually named after the famous banker and gem enthusiast, J. Pierpoint Morgan. It is a beryllium aluminum silicate, a rare pink variety of 
beryl, and usually ranges in pink color from pink to rose to peach and violet. As with most gemstones, the more richly colored the specimen, the higher it is prized. Very rarely, bi-colored stones are found that are part-morganite and part 
aquamarine, but these are museum pieces. Morganite is not common but the specimens that are found are usually medium to large. Morganite is never produced synthetically and because it is one of the most rare varieties of beryl, it tends to be very expensive. Morganite occurs as short and stubby tabular prisms and is dichroic, showing either two shades of the body color, or one shade and colorless. Morganite is in fact, essentially colorless, but impurities of magnesium give the stone its pink color, while iron impurities give the stone a yellowish or orange tinge. Heating the stone, an acceptable practice, reduces the iron content, thereby resulting in a more beautiful pink stone.
Morganite is usually a soft pale pink without any overtones, however the color can range from yellowish salmon-pink, through champagne, to an almost lilac pink. Morganite is not easily distinguished from kunzite, pink 
topaz, and pink tourmalines, as pink stones are not easily identifiable. Establishing each stone's density is really one of the only ways to be sure of a stone's identity. Morganite has a vitreous, glassy luster, like other beryls, and faceting helps to bring out its luster. The stone is usually fairly free of inclusions though sometimes, irregular liquid and gaseous inclusions may be visible. Morganite rates a 7.5 on the hardness scale, making it a durable stone that can be faceted (it is usually step cut) and worn in jewelry.
Morganite commonly occurs as an accessory mineral in granites, and is usually found in cavities and in granite pegmatites. Because of its hardness, it is sometimes found in alluvial deposits. Morganite is found in association with 
quartz, albite and muscovite mica, as well as other pegmatite accessory minerals. The very first morganite to be described was a pale rose-colored specimen from California, where it was found with tourmaline. Some of the finest morganite in the world comes from Madagascar. Rare forms of morganite come from Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil, where pure pink crystals are found, as well as some of the highly prized varieties containing aquamarine and morganite in the same crystal. Other occurrences of morganite are found in Elba, Italy; Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe; Nuristan, Afghanistan; and in the United States, in the Pala District in San Diego County, southern California. Morganite is also found in Pakistan, where it was recently discovered for the first time.
Morganite is said to be an excellent stone for Pisces as it clears the victim mentality many Pisces seem to digress to. In general, morganite gently cleanses the heart, opening it to unconditional love, unfulfilled emotional needs and unexpressed feelings. It dissolves any egotism that might be blocking spiritual advancement. Morganite also prevents the wearer from taking on the suffering of others. Physically, morganite has long been though to be a great cure for eye diseases.
