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| Color |
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Pale to saturated and
intense blue to purplish blue |
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| Gem Family |
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Tanzanite is a unique
variety of the mineral zoisite. |
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| Source |
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Tanzanite is mined only
one place in the world: Merelani in Tanzania, in
the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. |
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| Clarity |
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Generally very transparent. |
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| Size Range |
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0.5 carat to 15 carats.
The color of tanzanite is most intense in sizes
above ten carats. Smaller tanzanites are usually
lighter in color. |
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| Shapes Available |
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Ovals, cushions, rounds,
trillions, barion cuts and other shapes are available. |
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| Enhancement |
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Virtually all tanzanite
is heated from brown to blue. Legend has it that
the affect of heat was first discovered when some
brown zoisite crystals laying on the ground with
other rocks were caught in a fire set by lightning
that swept through the grass covered Merelani hills
northeast of Arusha. The Masai herders who drive
cattle in the area noticed the beautiful blue color
and picked the crystals up, becoming the first tanzanite
collectors. |
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| Lore & History |
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The name tanzanite is
a tribute to this gem's only known source in Tanzania.
Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 and named after
the country of its birth by Tiffany & Co, who
introduced the gemstone to the world market in 1969.
Tanzanite is the ultimate prize of a gem safari.
Its rich purples and blues often have a depth comparable
to the finest sapphire. Paler tanzanite has a delicate
periwinkle color like the eyes of Elizabeth Taylor. |
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| Toughness &
Hardness |
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The hardness of tanzanite
is 5.5-6.0 on the Mohs scale, similar to opal. |
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| Care & Cleaning |
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Tanzanite jewelry is
a little more delicate than other gemstone jewelry
and should not be set in a ring that will be worn
during strenuous activity. Never clean tanzanite
in an ultrasonic cleaner or resize or repair a ring
set with tanzanite without removing the gem because
the stone could shatter in the heat of a torch.
Try to avoid direct impact to the gemstone. Clean
with warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush. Store
separately from other jewelry and gemstones. |
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| Price Range |
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$250 to $1,000 per carat
for sizes up to five carats. Sizes above five carats
are priced individually. |
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| Special Characteristics |
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The source of its mesmerizing
color is that tanzanite is trichroic: that is, it
shows different colors when viewed in different
directions. One direction is blue, another purple,
and another bronze, adding subtle depths to the
color. Tanzanites which are blue tend to be more
expensive than purpler ones because the crystals
tend to form with the blue color axis oriented along
the width of the crystal instead of the length.
That means that if the cutter chooses to maximize
the purity of the blue color, the stone cut from
the rough will be smaller and will cost more per
carat. The blue color, however, is so beautiful,
that the sacrifice is often worth it. |
