About Tanzanite

Tanzanite owes much of its beauty to an unusual gemological property called pleochroism, the ability to exhibit more than one color. When viewed from different directions, tanzanite can look blue, violet, purple, bronze or even gray. This is because Tanzanite is a trichroic gem. Very few stones are trichroic and this is what makes tanzanites very easy to identify. Trichroic refers to three layers of color. The more common layers are blues and purples but you may also see flashes of red, green, yellow, or even orange. The color that gemologists primarily speak of is the deep royal blue. Before a tanzanite is faceted, the gemstone cutter studies the crystal and decides which directional orientation will show the best color. And typically, most cutters will try to produce a pure blue tanzanite. Unfortunately, cutting to achieve a blue color sacrifices a lot of weight and results in a smaller and more costly gem. Yet the blue of a well cut tanzanite is so breathtaking that most agree the sacrifice is well worth it. Stones ranging between sizes of 4 to 5 carats and larger have been known to show the strongest blue color. Smaller tanzanites are usually soft blue, light violet or lilac purple.

The East African state of Tanzania is currently the only place in the world where Tanzanite can be found. In Merelani today, searches are carried on in only a few small mines. Typically, only small grains of Tanzanite are found, but now and again the mineworkers succeed in attaining larger crystals. Unfortunately, in the absence of sophisticated mining techniques and inadequate financing, production never attains the level where supply complements demand. Recent developments at the tanzanite mines have been tragic, promising supply to drop even more.

Thanks to its unusual aura, Tanzanite has rapidly become one of the most coveted gemstones in the world. Tanzanite has become so popular that in October of 2002, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) announced that tanzanite had joined zircon and turquoise in the traditional list of birthstones for the month of December. The contemporary jewelers' Anniversary Gemstone List also named tanzanite the anniversary gemstone for the 24th year of marriage. Overall, the stone has had a truly unexpected impact on the industry. There is no wonder why it was the first and only birthstone addition since 1912. Among the many gemstones discovered in the last 90 years, only Tanzanite has been officially added.

Virtually all tanzanite is gently heated to bring out its rich blue, violet and purple hues. The heat treatments are conducted at approximately 700 degree Celsius temperature, in order to enhance and bring out the best color possible. Overall, enhancement using heat treatment is a widely accepted treatment for the Tanzanite gem stone.

Tanzanite should never be cleaned with an ultrasonic or steam machine, or brought into contact with any type of acids. Tanzanite can be cleaned with mostly any commercial jewelry cleaner or plain soap and warm water using a soft brush. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly after cleaning. Also avoid exposing your stone to sudden changes of temperature. This includes hot tubs and very cold water. Do not wear when doing any type of physical labor. Tanzanite should always be worn carefully. This gemstone is a bit more delicate than many other gemstones and therefore cannot be worn when doing laborious activity. If you should be getting a Tanzanite ring resized or repaired, ensure that the gemstone is first taken off from the mounting. The Tanzanite gemstone could shatter with the heat of a torch.

The origins of Tanzanite are said to have started millions of years ago when metamorphic schists, formed flat-topped inselbergs on a plain found in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. The crystals were said to have grown in deposits on the inside of these unusual elevations. For a long time they were hidden from the eye of man, until one day some passing Masai shepherds noticed some sparkling crystals lying in the sun and took them along with them. Fast forward a couple million years and you get to mid 1967. A Portuguese fortune hunter named Manuel d'souza was traveling along the eastern part of Africa in search of rare quality ruby and sapphire. He came near a place just below Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, where he happened to stumble upon a mass of lustrous blue rocks, which, at first was mistaken by him as sapphire. Little at that point of time could he imagine what he had just discovered. Soon, the inconspicuous stone was labeled 'Tanzanite', after its place of origin and was sent fourth to the gem lovers across the globe. In 1969, Tanzanite hit the American market, catapulting to incredible popularity. Specialists passionately celebrated, calling it the 'gemstone of the 20th century'. Today, the only known source of Tanzanite is a five square mile hilltop at Merelani, in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Only a few miles short from its mystical discovery said to have occurred millions of years ago.