In the world of gemstones, diamond is king. However, it is not the most expensive nor rare gemstone; there are other more colorful gemstones out there that deserve the spotlight and serve different purposes and looks. Let us look at one of the newer gemstones that has climbed to the top in popularity, tanzanite!
Story
Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 and it was named by Tiffany and Co. after the country where it was found, Tanzania, Africa.
According to the story, it was initially thought to be a sapphire deposit. Later it was found that it was a gem variety of the mineral zoisite, with traces of vanadium that gives it its unique blue to violet color. The Maasai tribe consider tanzanite to be sacred and spiritual and give it to newborns as symbol of birth and prosperity.
After a big marketing campaign, the gemstone started competing with the big three of colored gemstones: ruby, sapphire, and emerald. Nowadays, most serious jewelry businesses carry pieces in tanzanite because of how good it looks in all colors of gold and silver.
Rarity and meaning
Tanzanite became the official birthstone for the month of December.
Good quality tanzanite is not easy to come by; statistically, because it is only found in one place, it is 1000 times rarer than diamonds. The best quality of tanzanite is that with darker tones (more color saturation); blue is the most popular, although it also looks amazing in violet tones.
Tanzanite is referred to as a stone that represents birth and new beginnings. It is great as an heirloom piece due to its scarcity, and its colors can be perfectly combined with white, yellow, or rose gold. Stick with white gold for that classy look which you can dress up. Use yellow or rose gold to make a statement and wear with colorful pieces.
Hardness and price
Tanzanite is roughly as hard as emerald, between 6 and 7 on the Mohs’ scale of hardness, so it is not a piece to be worn every day if it could be scratched. This means that tanzanite on rings or bracelets can be scratched if used daily. Use it for special occasions or wear it on a beautiful pendant.
When shopping for tanzanite, try and see the stone under yellow light to spot the burgundy red/pink color among the blues and violets. This will give you an idea about the quality and saturation of the stone. Depending on the setting and how dark the stone is, you might not be able to see through it.
Tanzanite´s price per carat depends on how big the single stone is. High quality stones weighing less than 2 carats can go from 300-500 USD per carat. Stones from 2 to 2.99 carats from 500-600 USD per carat, 3.00-9.99 carats 600-700 USD per carat and stones over 10 carats 650-750 USD per carat.
There might be stones priced higher due to their amazing saturation and pleochroism (display of colors) which can be exceptionally beautiful. However, these are only the 1% mined and are not readily available in stores, so the average prices mentioned here apply in most cases.
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