"The Tanzanite ring was absolutely beautiful. The picture on your
website did not do it justice. My sister can't stop looking at it."
Aimee W - Florida
"The ring arrived today and my mother-in-law is thrilled with it!
Thanks for everything, especially your quality work!"
Larry A - Texas
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Tanzanite Market |
Tanzanite Market
Tanzanite is an extremely unique gemstone. Its blue color, which shimmers with a slightly violet hue, is magnificent indeed. Because of its unusually attractive flair - and the additional alluring fact that the stone is found in only one location in the world - it was easy for New York's Tiffany & Co. to make it one of the most sought-after gemstones in the world.
Tanzanite's name is reminiscent of its world-famous occurence in the African country of Tanzania. Africa is a continent from which many splendid stones find their way to the world market. Tanzanite is a prime example, having been enthusiastically celebrated as "Gemstone of the 20th Century" after its discovery in 1967. Gemstone experts held their breaths upon seeing the first deep blue Tanzanite crystals from the Merelani Hills.
Millions of years ago, metamorphous slates, gneiss stone and quarzites shaped impressive flat insular mountains on the wide planes near Mount Kilimanjaro. In the core of these unusual rises the valuable crystals are stored. For a long time they remained hidden from the eyes of men, until one day Massai herdsmen passing by noticed crystals sparkling in the sun and picked them up.
Today at Merelani the popular crystals are searched for in several mines, to some extent by means of modern methods. Generally only smaller grains are being found, but now and then the miners strike a lucky vein and produce a larger crystal – much to the pleasure of the mine owners and Tanzanite enthusiasts all over the world.
The Tanzanite trade is managed by many small-scale licensed traders who have built up good business relationships with gemstone firms in Germany, India, Israel and the United States. An estimated 90 percent of all Tanzanite traders are registered members of the International Colored Stone Association (ICA) and are therefore dedicated to the respective high ethical standards of the ICA. This exclusive gemstone is therefore not brought to the world markets via suspicious back-street dealers; in spite of its rarity it is distributed via reliable and trustworthy official channels to well-reputed gemstone-cutters, and then passed on to important jewelers all over the world.
Actually only a blue Zoisite ...
Tanzanite is in fact the blue variety of Zoisite gemstone. However, the hydrated calcium aluminium silicate mineral achieves a hardness of only 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs' scale, and is therefore not very resistant. It should be worn with care, should never be cleaned by ultrasonic method and should never come into contact with acids.
When New York jeweler Louis Comfort Tiffany was presented with the first Tanzanites right after they had been discovered, he was immediately convinced: this gemstone is a sensation! However, he recommended finding a new name for the blue beauty, since the gemmologically correct denomination "blue Zoisite" was unfortunately reminiscent of the word "suicide." So Tiffany suggested the name Tanzanite instead, derived from the place of occurrence, and the new name quickly became established on the market. And it was in fact Tiffany & Co. who introduced the stone to the public in a spectacular promotional campaign two years after it was discovered.
...but what a spectacular color!
Spectacular and magnificent is the deep blue of Tanzanite, ranging from ultramarine to light blue-violet. The most coveted color is a blue which shows a purplish hue shimmering around it, which is extremely spectacular in sizes above ten carats. Typical for Tanzanite is the appearance of several colors in one stone: depending on the perspective, the stone appears blue, purple, or yellow. Most rough crystals, however, show a disturbingly large proportion of brownish-yellow, but the cutter may cure this by carefully heating the stone in an oven to about 500°C. In the course of this heating, utmost concentration is demanded, for it is essential to determine the moment when the color turns blue. Heating is therefore a treatment which is generally accepted in the trade; however, the rough stone has to be as free of inclusions as possible, otherwise the process will lead to fissures.
Working with Tanzanite is a task which causes even experienced cutters to tread carefully, as the cleavage of the gemstone is very high in one direction. The exclusive stone is cut in any imaginable shape and form, from classical round cuts to imaginative designer cuts.
Tanzanite is always fascinating because of its unusual appeal which can hold anyone enthralled. The deep blue with the slight violet shade is one of the most extravagant colors available. It symbolizes immaculate but unusual elegance. Whoever purchases such a unique gemstone wants to be set apart from the masses. Wearing it communicates self-confidence and individuality. The almost magical color of a perfectly cut Tanzanite is not only attractive on young women, it also emphasizes the individuality of a mature woman.
Some people now will pay almost any price for Tanzanites in especially good qualities and larger sizes. After all, the desire to own something unique and rare has always been a decisive criterion for assessing the value of special gemstones.
- International Colored Gemstone Association |
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