Heat-Treated Tanaznite

Heat treatment is done to almost all of the tanzanite on the market today. With the exception of a small amount of naturally blue material, heating is the source of tanzanite’s desirable blue color. This treatment is widely known and should be expected by retailers and customers.

A small amount of untreated tanzanite with an excellent color is found in the mines. This naturally blue material is preferred by some buyers.

Synthetic Tanzanite

Synthetic tanzanite is not known in the marketplace. When this article was last updated in late 2019, a literature review did not indicate that anyone had successfully produced and marketed synthetic tanzanite. However, stones are being offered for sale as “synthetic tanzanite”. These are really imitation tanzanite being sold by sellers who are not using the proper terminology. As with any other gem, sellers of synthetic or imitation gems are obligated to clearly disclose their man-made origin at the time of sale – just as is done for lab-created diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and many other gems.