Some Information About Tanzanite

Tanzanite's startling violet-blue coloration is part of its appeal.

A stone that scintillates with colors that range from oceanic blue to twilight-purple, tanzanite is among the rarest and most expensive of all gems. Though a relatively new bauble in the world of jewelry, its brilliant color--along with with its scarcity and nonpareil status--has made tanzanite one of the most coveted gemstones, trumping diamonds and emeralds when it comes to desirability.

History

Tanzanite gems were initially mistaken for sapphires.

Tanzanite's discovery is a medley of history and myth. According to one legend, in 1967, members of a Masai tribe--a pastoral populace living in Kenya and Tanzania--discovered tanzanite while herding cattle in the Meralani Hills in northern Tanzania. While corralling the herd, they noticed a sparkling blue stone partly buried in the sand. Another tale states that a local tailor stumbled upon the gems, initially mistaking them for sapphires.

Identification

Tanzanites are known for their brilliant blue color.

Tanzanite can be identified on a technical level as they are in the exclusive category of precious jewels. For a gem to be called "precious" it must be beautiful, rare and durable. While beauty is subjective, tanzanites are are 1,000 times rarer than diamonds and have a durability on par with emeralds. Other distinctive tanzanite qualities include the stone's sapphiric blue color--that sometimes looks dark orchid-purple in direct light--as well as its prismatic glow. Tanzanite is also in the zoisite family, a crystalline mineral group that is formed from hydroxyl silicate of calcium and aluminum.

Geography

Tanzanite is mined in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tanzanite is only mined in Tanzania, along the edge Lake Tanganyika, one of Africa's great lakes, and Mount Kilimanjaro. Millions of years ago, the stones formed in this selective area due to a fusion of heated rocks sparked by tectonic movement.

Name Origin

Once tanzanite began to be exported after 1967, Tiffany & Co. became the first jewelry atelier to not only carry the stone but to give the gem its current name. The luxury jeweler reneged the original, scientifically correct name, blue zoisite, because it sounded to close to the word "suicide." Tanzanite was chosen in honor of the stones' origin--Tanzania.

Function

Since its introduction, tanzanite has become the stone for 24th anniversaries, while the American Gem Trade Association has also recognized it as December's birthstone. Symbolically, it is seen as a gem capable of opening the heart and lifting the spirit.

References

• Federal Trade Commission: Rules on Precious Gems
• American Gem Trade Association: Tanzanite
• Palagems.com: Tanzanite Buying Guide
• Tanzanite One: Tanzanite History