Hiddenite natural crystal 16.9g, Afghanistan

Kunzite (like Hiddenite) is a variant of the mineral Spodumen.
Kunzite was discovered in 1902, and was named after the chief jeweler of Tiffany & Co. - George Frederick Kunz.
It is most commonly found in shades of light pink, but more vivid colors are possible and can reach rare shades of vivid purple to purple. It is colored this way due to the content of small manganese particles. When exposed to intense light, the color may fade over time, so it is better to protect both jewelry and crystals from light and store them in a case or box, for example. And that's why, unfortunately, to get a brighter color, it is very often heated. Kunzite is pleochroic, meaning it can change color depending on the angle from which you look at it.
Kunzite is classified as a precious stone - it is widely used in the jewelry industry. Its hardness is 6.5 - 7 on the Mohs scale.

Hiddenite is a rare and beautiful green variety of the mineral spodumene, which is a lithium mineral. This mineral was named after William E. Hidden, who was a mineralogist and the first to describe this mineral. Here is a more detailed description of hiddenite.

     Color: Hiddenite is known for its lush green color, which can range from light green to medium green to dark green.

     Transparency: Hiddenite is usually transparent, meaning that light can pass through its crystals.

     Crystal Structure: Hiddenite has a crystal structure that can be hexagonal to octagonal. Its crystals are often large and usually have a good luster.

     Hardness: Hiddenite has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, which means it is hard enough to be suitable for jewelry making.