Complimentary

A gem that gives light back — it takes the room's glow and returns it warmer and pink.

Kunzite · The Law of Prototype

Family: Spodumene (LiAlSi₂O₆) coloured by manganese
Hardness: 6.5–7, with two perfect cleavage directions
Colour: Delicate pink to lilac, strongest looking down the length of the crystal
Signature: Phosphorescent — it glows for a moment after the light is taken away

The stone read as the word

Kunzite was identified by George Kunz, Tiffany's gemmologist, in 1902. It is pleochroic: the same stone is pale from the side and richly pink from the end, so the cutter's whole job is to orient it so it gives the most colour to whoever is looking. A complimentary stone has to be set with the viewer in mind.

It also holds light. Exposed to strong light it phosphoresces, giving back a soft glow after the source is gone. That is the nature of a compliment: it stays in the room after the person has left.

What it is carried for

Carried to raise a room — the stone of freely given warmth.
Held for tenderness with strength: lithium-bearing, traditionally the calming gem.
Worn when she intends to elevate someone before she asks for anything.