You are on page 1of 4

Tanzanite is an extraordinary gemstone.

It occurs in only
one place worldwide. Its blue, surrounded by a fine hint
of purple, is a wonderful colour. Thanks to its unusual
aura and the help of the New York jeweller's Tiffany, it
has rapidly become one of the most coveted gemstones
in the world.
It is named after the East African state of Tanzania, the
only place in the world where it has been found. Africa?
Does anyone think of gemstones when they hear that
name? Well they should, because Africa is a continent
which provides the world with a multitude of truly
magnificent gemstones, like tanzanite for example. On
its discovery in 1967, it was enthusiastically celebrated
by the specialists as the 'gemstone of the 20th century'.
They held their breath in excitement as they caught sight
of the first deep-blue crystals which had been found in
the Merelani Hills near Arusha in the north of Tanzania.
Millions of years ago, metamorphic schists, gneisses
and quartzites formed impressive, flat-topped inselbergs
on a vast plain in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. The
precious crystals grew in deposits on the inside of these
unusual elevations. For a long, 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.
In Merelani today, the search is carried on for the
coveted crystals in several, smallish mines, in some

cases using modern methods. As a rule, only small


grains are found, but now and again the mineworkers
succeed in fetching out a larger crystal to the joy of the
mine owners and that of the large number of tanzanite
fans.
The tanzanite trade is in the hands of many licensed
merchants, mostly on a small scale, who have, over the
decades, built up stable, trusting business relationships
with gemstone companies in India, Germany, Israel and
the USA. An estimated 90 per cent of all tanzanite
merchants are official members of the International
Colored Gemstone Association ICA, and are thus bound
by the high ethical standards of that organisation. In this
way, this exclusive gemstone is not subject to trade via
dubious channels, but instead, in spite of its rarity,
passed on along reputable trade routes to established
cutting-centres and subsequently to major jewellers all
round the world.
Really just a blue zoisite ...
Tanzanite is a blue variety of the gemstone zoisite. It
consists of calcium aluminium silicate and is not
particularly hard, having a value of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs
scale. For that reason, it should always be worn
carefully and never placed in an ultrasonic bath for
cleaning or brought into contact with acids.
When the first tanzanites were offered to the New York
jewellery company Tiffany a short time after their

discovery, they sparked an enthusiastic reaction. 'This


gemstone is a sensation!', they said. However, they did
make a recommendation to give the 'child' another
name, since the gemmologically correct name 'blue
zoisite' was felt to be too close to the English word
'suicide'. So Tiffany's proposed the name 'tanzanite',
after the place where the stone had been found - a
name which quickly came into general use in the trade.
And it was Tiffany's who, two years after its discovery,
presented the exclusive gemstone to the general public
with a broad-based advertising campaign.
... but what a fantastic colour!
The deep blue of the tanzanite is fantastic, and runs
from ultramarine blue to light violet-blue. The most
coveted colour is a blue surrounded by a delicate hint of
purple, which has a particularly wonderful effect in sizes
of over 10 carats. The well developed polychromaticity
of the tanzanite is typical: depending on the angle from
which you look at it, the stone may appear blue, purple
or brownish-yellow. Having said that, most raw crystals
are somewhat spoiled by a brownish-yellow component,
though it can be made to disappear by the cutter if he
heats the stone carefully in an oven to approximately
500. During the procedure he must pay careful
attention to the moment at which the colour turns to
blue. This burning is a method of treatment which is
regarded as customary in the trade, but the raw stones
must be as free of inclusions as possible, since

otherwise fissures may occur. In fact working with


tanzanite can sometimes give even the most
experienced cutter a bit of a headache, the cleavage of
this gemstone being very pronounced in one direction.
This exclusive gemstone is cut in every imaginable
shape from the classical round shape to a number of
imaginative designer cuts.
A tanzanite will continue to fascinate with its unusual,
captivating aura. Its deep blue with the slightly purple
tinge is one of the most extravagant colours known to
Man. It personifies immaculate, yet unconventional
elegance. A person who acquires one of these exclusive
gems is someone who wishes to set himself apart from
the hoi polloi. A person who wears it exudes confidence
and individuality. The almost magical colour of a
perfectly cut tanzanite is one that not only suits confident
young women; it is also excellently suited to underlining
the individuality of the more mature woman.
In the meantime, almost any price you care to name is
being asked - and paid! - for tanzanites of good quality
and large size. What makes this stone so popular? Is it
simply that fantastic colour? No, it is also the exclusivity
of its origin. The stone is particularly highly prized
because it is found in only one place in the whole world.
The idea of possessing something that not everyone has
has always been one of the main criteria in the way we
esteem special gems.

You might also like