Become an expert in the rare gem Tanzanite
What is Tanzanite?
Tanzanite gemstones are really gaining popularity. The beautiful deep blue with pinky purple flashes creates a stunning gemstone to own and wear.
Tanzanite (Blue Zoisite) is a rare mineral. It was discovered by Tiffany & Co. in the 1960s and named Tanzanite after the tiny mining area in Tanzania in which it was discovered and, to this day, is the only place in the world where it is found. It is widely acknowledged that the current Tanzanite resource could be depleted in just a few decades and as such it has become known as a "One Generation Gemstone".
The stones are mainly yellow to brown when they come out of the ground (unless they were formed in thermal vents, in which case they are blue when discovered.) Most Tanzanite is heated to bring out the beautiful blue / violet colours. This treatment produces a stable colour that makes this stone so desirable. Gem cutters will cut and polish each stone to make the most of these blue or violet hues.
Rare specimens of Zoisite exhibit green, yellow, or pink primary hues straight out of the ground. (I have some beautiful natural green ‘Tanzanites’ in my jewellery collection too.)
Tanzanite, is mostly mined by small scale "artisanal" miners. These are families or cooperative groups allocated a mining claim by the government and who collectively mine a small claim.
Please take a look at my Tanzanite Jewellery collection.
How rare is Tanzanite?
Tanzanite in the rough.
Tanzanite has only one source in the world - and it is rapidly running out! The top (AAA) Tanzanite quality is already extremely limited and continues to become more so. Meanwhile, tanzanite has become the second fastest selling coloured gem stone in the world - the demand is extremely high.
With Tanzanite resources running out and with the fluctuating state of the world economy, Tanzanite has fast gained eminence as a tangible investment with great potential.
It is clear that with rapidly growing demand and supply shrinking, simple economic theory dictates that Tanzanite prices will increase substantially. However, further to our expectation of gradual increases over time, many gemologists and speculative investors are of the opinion that the stone's real value as an investment lies in the potential for astronomic prices once it has been mined out (probably within 20-30 years), and the world's enormous demand for Tanzanite can only be catered for from what exists in private hands. At that point, Tanzanite values, most especially for the finest material, will be extremely high.
How to judge the quality of a Tanzanite
Saturation levels decreasing left to right
Tanzanite, as with Diamonds and all gemstones are rated by the 4 C’s:
Colour (The more vivid and intense the colour saturation of Tanzanite, the better.)
Clarity (Tanzanite needs to be flawless to be considered top grade, as it is classed as a Type 1 gemstone by the GIA.)
Carat Weight (This becomes important within quality brackets. A 3 carat exceptional, investment grade colour with top clarity will always be much rarer and more valuable than a 10 carat paler stone containing inclusions.)
Cut (Maximising symmetry and light reflection, to get the best looking gemstone out of the Tanzanite rough.)
I only buy Tanzanites that are in the finest 1% of all Tanzanite mined. They all come with GIA Gem Reports.
Click to view my Tanzanite Jewellery collection.
There exists, in Tanzanite mining lore, a rare class of stone the miners call “Nadra”, meaning “The Rarest” in their native Swahili. A miner may find only a handful of these coveted crystals in a year. These Tanzanites have a colour not normally seen in the main market. Their colour is beyond the normal grading scales.
Just as certain gem types have their pinnacles - blue sapphire from Kashmir for example has a colour saturation and tone mix that makes it unique and highly coveted, not only for its rarity but superior beauty. This is how these particular stones are regarded.
The tanzanites I purchase are cherry picked from the mouth of the mine by a GIA Gemologist, chosen out of literally thousands of carats of Tanzanite production. This gives my Investment Grade Tanzanite Collection a pedigree that very few people will ever own or even see. If you are looking for jewellery in the highest grade in Tanzanite, the very top 1%, I can source them.
My Tanzanites
The Tanzanite stones I have sourced are in the top 1% for colour, cut and clarity. Not only is Tanzanite beautiful to wear, due to the lavish, deep blues of the gemstone; but, as supplies of Tanzanite are dwindling, Tanzanite jewellery could make an incredible investment opportunity too.
I also have the full history of each of my Tanzanites, including:
the day it was discovered
the exact location
a photo of the stone before cutting
a mining report
a GIA gem report
a photo of the laser identifying inscription on the stone
Additionally, I supply an Insurance valuation of the finished piece of jewellery.
So, when you buy a piece of Tanzanite jewellery from me, along with your beautiful piece of jewellery, you also own the fascinating history of your beautiful gemstone!
Please visit my Tanzanite Jewellery collection.
How is Tanzanite formed?
Many hundreds of millions of years ago, shifting plates caused a massive upheaval in the earth’s crust forcing it upwards over 19,000 feet to form the majesty of what is known today as Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. The visual feast of the ice capped peak towering over endless plains of wildlife has mesmerised many over the centuries but what was created below ground as the volcano erupted continues to mesmerise a few who are lucky enough to own a piece of it – Tanzanite!
The eruption created the unique set of conditions in the earth for this wonderful gem to form over 500 million years ago. Heated ground waters circulated through rock fractures, dissolving minerals from the surrounding rocks and redepositing them in open spaces like fractures. Here as the rock folded with time, the heat and pressure grew to a level where it was possible for Tanzanite to form. Much of the first crystal formations would have been destroyed by the folding rock over the ages or by a change in temperature or pressure but some survived and the pair of crystals pictured on the left were amongst these. They were chiseled out of the rock several hundred feet down by resolute miners and brought up to the surface.
In their rough state they were a mixture of the 3 colours locked within them – violet, reddish brown and blue and would not unleash the fiery violet blue you see in the cut pieces until they had been heated at 600 degrees centigrade – almost a tribute to the fiery eruption from which they were born.
Can Tanzanite be worn every day?
Gem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale, with Diamond being the hardest mineral (10) and Talc being the softest (1). Tanzanite sits at between 6 and 7 on the scale - a similar hardness to Garnet and Moonstone.
Tanzanite is not a gem that should break easily but it can scratch more easily than harder coloured gems like Ruby and Sapphire.
Due to Tanzanite's relative softness, it should be treated with respect. It is generally advised that you should not wear coloured gemstones while doing heavy or rough work (such as cleaning, gardening or performing sports activities) avoid contact with gritty substances and remove whilst swimming due to the chlorine in pools.
Gems with a hardness of 6-7 or greater are quite suitable for rings which are worn occasionally. But for a ring like a wedding or engagement ring, intended for everyday wear over a period of years, a hardness rating of 8-10 (for example Ruby, Sapphire, Spinel, Topaz, Cat’s Eye, Alexandrite or Diamond) is recommended.
When worn, pendants are much more protected than rings, so Tanzanites are fine to wear every day as a pendent. I’d still recommend removing them before sports, swimming, or showering.
On a personal note, I’ve worn Tanzanite jewellery out on many occasions, but treat it more like event/cocktail jewellery. In the Tanzanite Trillion rings I’ve designed, the claws are a little larger to protect the corners of the triangle, and the halo of diamonds surrounding the main stone, also helps to protect the Tanzanite.
Caring for Tanzanite
To clean tanzanite gemstones, never use an ultrasonic cleaner or steam cleaner (often found in jewellers). The best method is simply to use a toothbrush and warm, soapy water.
Tanzanite’s History and Beliefs
Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro by Maasai tribesman. Legend has it that a bushfire that had swept the area had heated some surface lying gems which had turned them blue. The tribesmen spotted the blue sparkling stones as they herded their cattle through the area in search of grass.
Having no value to the Maasai, they were shown to a trader in the nearby town of Arusha called Manuel de Souza. Manuel originally thought the stone was a Sapphire and rushed up into the hills to claim the area but was puzzled by this amazing gem that sparkled pink and red within its deep blue colour. He laid the very first claim but was unsure where to market this unknown gem material.
It was taken to New York and shown to Henry Platt, Chairman of Tiffany and Company and grandson of the founder. Harry Platt immediately recognised this mysterious stone's potential, described it as "the loveliest blue gemstone discovered in over 2,000 years" and named it after the country of its discovery. Tiffany & Company then negotiated to become its main distributor. It launched Tanzanite onto the world stage with an unprecedented marketing campaign in 1968. Tanzanite became hugely popular in a very short time, even challenging the "big 3" Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire for dominance in coloured gemstone sales in the US market.
Tanzanite is one of December’s birthstones (along with Zircon and Turquoise). It is also given as a 24th Wedding Anniversary gift.
Click to view my Tanzanite Jewellery collection.