The basic molecule of the mineral morganite contains beryllium, aluminum, silicon and oxygen. It has the chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6. It is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate), but cesium or manganese impurities alter its color to pink or rose. Iron impurities sometimes add a yellowish tinge to the basic pink.
The Mohs scale measures the hardness of gemstones and minerals. This scale assigns a hardness value of 1 to talc, while diamond, the hardest mineral, receives the number 10. Other minerals receive intermediate numbers proportionate to their hardness. This Mohs scale assigns morganite a hardness value of 7.5 to 8. This means that it can scratch the surface of a softer material such as glass but cannot scratch such minerals as ruby and sapphire, which have a hardness value of 9.
Morganite occurs in tiny hexagonal crystals and sometimes the gem takes on the shape of a visible hexagonal prism. However, because of its brittle texture and imperfect cleavage, its hexagonal habit is not always apparent to the observer.
The density of a substance is the amount of material in a given volume of the substance. A cubic centimeter of morganite contains approximately 2.71 to 2.90 grams of matter. A pearl has almost the same density.
When a mineralogist rubs a mineral over a suitable surface, the mineral leaves a powdery trail called a streak. The streak helps in mineral identification. Morganite has a white streak.
Like many gemstones, morganite has a glassy luster, which gives it a brilliant appearance when light shines on it. Its translucent texture enhances its brilliance. If light rays suffer an abrupt change of direction as they enter a gemstone, the gemstone's brilliance increases still further. However, morganite does not bend or refract light rays nearly as much as diamond does, so the former is correspondingly less brilliant. However, the refractive capacity of morganite is slightly greater than that of quartz.
If a gemstone exhibits a slightly different shade of color when viewed from two different angles, it possesses a property called dichroism. Morganite appears either pale-pink or lavender-pink, depending on the angle from which it is viewed
Those who believe in the metaphysical properties of gemstones claim that morganite helps relieve stress and even cures stress-related illnesses. It is supposed to give people a cheerful outlook on life.