Tanzanite: Everything About this Rare Gemstone
The Tanzanite gemstones may not be as popular as diamonds and emeralds but they are a great alternative if sapphires never worked for you. Tanzanite is an exclusive stone discovered just a few decades ago. It is found only in Tanzania. The stone is durable and admired due to its beauty and rarity. It is popular for its vivid colors, high clarity, and large cuts. Here is a brief rundown of everything about tanzanite.
Brief History
Tanzanite gemstones were discovered in the year 1967 in the Merelani Hills near Ashura, a town in Tanzania. The blue crystals were found by the Maasai tribesmen who notified Manuel d’Souza or ‘Mad Manuel,’ who was an Indian tailor traveling the world in search of gold and gems. After the notification, he immediately registered for mining claims as he thought they were sapphires. As the news spread rapidly, the mining claims grew further within a short period of time. Eventually, they were identified to be tanzanites.
The first company to recognize these beautiful stones was Tiffany & Co., who thought tanzanites could rival sapphires in beauty and color. The name ‘tanzanite’ was given in recognition of its exclusive geographic origin. It became a well-publicized campaign in 1968. Tiffany & Co. made tanzanite a popular gem that was revered for its clarity, color, and size.
How Was it Formed?
Experts believe that the tectonic plate activity and extreme heat and pressure that formed Mount Kilimanjaro were the same events that produced tanzanite deposits. It is said to have been made 585 million years ago by a process called regional metamorphism, where the tectonic plates collide, and the igneous rock of each tectonic plate morphs into one another due to extreme heat and pressure. Once these rocks reach the melting point, they produce crystal structures, eventually forming the gems. Each of the two combined plates contains different minerals, which, when mixed, can be unique to only one area. This uniqueness makes tanzanite exclusive to only one location of the planet.
How Much is it Worth?
Since its discovery, the price of tanzanite has fluctuated dramatically because of many factors. Due to their rarity, the highest-grade stones in the 1970s were sold at $400 per carat. However, the prices varied considerably because of the inconsistent supply of the stone due to a lack of resources and improper marketing. In the mid-1980s, the gems were sold for over $1000 per carat due to their rarity.
But the supplies were improved when more tanzanite deposits were found, and the prices dropped steeply. But the overproduction was soon managed, and the prices rose to $300-400 per carat. The prices can even go up to $2000 per carat, depending on the color and origin of the gemstone. Natural purple and blue tanzanite are in high demand in new markets like India and China. The stone has rare pink and purple varieties, which can easily be worth twice as much as the blue ones.
Tanzanite mining and sales plunged in 2020 due to the pandemic negatively impacting the East African economies. In recent years, large, high-quality tanzanites have been sold for a fraction of their real prices. Even though the prices are picking up, they are still 20-30% below the actual worth of these stones. So depending on the cut, carat, and color, you can find tanzanites within a range of $200-675 per carat.
What Color is Tanzanite?
The most common colors of tanzanite are shades of brown due to the variation in the ming of red and yellowish hues. Traces of vanadium make the stone blue, which is only brought out after being heated at 600 C for 30 minutes. Richer tones of blue may emerge depending on the chemical composition, which makes the stone more desirable.
Tanzanite can be described as a blue zoisite with an exciting property called pleochroism, where the object shows different colors when viewed under other lights and angles. Tanzanite is a trichroic stone that makes it appear blue, red, purple, or yellow when it catches light in different ways. It may exhibit the richest shade of blue under natural light but appear lighter purple under incandescent light.
What Meaning is Associated with Tanzanite?
The natives of the region where this stone is mined, i.e., the Masaai tribe, associate tanzanite with empathy and tranquility. The blue color of the stone has led them to associate their ideas with it, such as the ability to create life. They believe it also facilitates communication with the people around you and the higher spiritual consciousness. Its ability to help break destructive behavior patterns and start afresh reflects its ability to create new life. The stone is also said to help with the healing processes and protect caregivers assisting with healing.
To Conclude
No other blue gemstone is as rich in color as tanzanite. It is a rare stone with interesting properties that deserves all the attention it has garnered through the years. So, if you are not interested in regular precious stones and are looking for something out of the box, tanzanite can be a perfect addition to your collection.
