Tanzanite Gemstones

After its accidental discovery in the year 1967, tanzanite gems acquired a status that only few colored gemstones enjoy. This beautiful blue gemstone with shades of purple in it is a highly desired stone around the world. It is a ‘must-have’ for the celebrities and Hollywood stars today.

What makes tanzanite gemstone so special is its exclusivity. It’s only found in Merilani hills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, an East African state, thus giving this magnificent stone its name. Africa is home to many brilliant gemstones like rubies, sapphires, emeralds, garnets and tourmaline to name a few and of course diamonds. But the most sought after these days are tanzanite. As it is mostly concentrated in a small area, one can not rule out the possibility of tanzanite gemstones becoming extinct very early in the near future and thus making the stone highly coveted.

Plechroism

Rarer than a diamond, a tanzanite gemstone is very sensitive to light. It exhibits different colors in different lights which is a phenomenon known as Pleochroism. Depending on the crystal orientation, tanzanite flaunts brilliant blues, violets and reddish purple colors. In fact it is the only gemstone which exhibits Trichroism as it displays three colors at the same time under constant light conditions. 

Chemically, tanzanite is calcium aluminum silicate and belongs to the Zoisite family of minerals. Gemological name of this stone is Blue Zoisite but it’s popularly known by the name tanzanite which was coined by Tiffany’s, the gemstone pioneers who launched the stone in 1968, after the name of its “birthplace”.

Fragile

On the hardness scale, a tanzanite gemstone ranges between 6.5 - 7 Mohs which makes it a fragile stone and not hard as the other stones like ruby and sapphire. On the same scale a diamond, the hardest stone ever found, measures 10. Nevertheless, It is hard enough for everyday wear. Tanzanite gems can be used in any kind of jewelry that you can think of- pendant, rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

Just a little care is required while wearing and handling a piece of this gem. An impact can break the stone and tanzanite gemstone is more liable to scratch easily than probably a sapphire.  No ultra sonic or chemical cleaning is recommended for this stone as it can be damaging. 

The tanzanite gemstones are very clear and without any external inclusions. The more clear and unblemished it is, the costlier it becomes. Also, the smaller gems are lighter in color because of the transparency and as the size increases the color becomes deeper, more pronounced and needless to say costlier too. 

Rough Tanzanite Gemstone

Originally tanzanite crystal is brownish yellow in appearance when they come out of the mines. Following the heat treatment, all tanzanite gems acquire this dazzling blue and purple shade. The heat treatment of approximately 500 degrees makes the coloring element, vanadium, stable and permanent; giving the tanzanite gems, their astounding blue color.

Tanzanite mines are concentrated in an area of just eight square miles in Meralani hills of Tanzania. The area has been divided into sections or blocks and they are named as A, B, C and D.  The fourth or the D block is reputed to give the best quality of gemstones. AAA tanzanite is characterized by a very deep blue purple shade and is of the finest quality.

So what is it that makes this stone so desired and loved by all- is it the color , or its exclusivity or the thought that it may not be there in another few years from now? Well, may be all three.