Numerous sellers of tanzanite use the fact that tanzanite is only found in one small area to promote the material’s rarity. A counter to that is that the world is an enormous planet and zoisite is not an extremely rare mineral. How many people and companies are out looking for samples of zoisite and taking…

Tanzanite is one of the best-selling colored stones in today’s gem and jewelry markets. That is a surprise considering that it was only discovered in the 1960s, while all of the other best-selling colored stones have been known for centuries. It has a unique blue color that grows in popularity as more people learn about…

Imitations exist for every popular gem, and tanzanite is no exception. A few manufactured materials have a similar appearance to tanzanite. A synthetic forsterite (a mineral in the olivine solid solution series) is being produced with a color and pleochroism that resembles tanzanite. Coranite is a synthetic blue corundum that resembles tanzanite. Tanavyte is a purple yttrium aluminum…

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…

The price history of tanzanite has seen many sharp rises and falls. These price changes have been related to the limited number of mines and the limited geographic location of the world’s tanzanite resource. Decisions and regulations of the Tanzanian government can have an immediate impact on the availability and price of the entire world’s…

In 1967, when the first tanzanite had been faceted and prepared for the market, jewelers and the public knew nothing of the gem. They had never seen its blue color or heard its name. To introduce the world to tanzanite, Tiffany and Company launched a public education program. Tiffany prepared educational materials that would make…

Tanzanite is a beautiful gem. In addition to its beauty, it has some properties that require it to be given special care. Tanzanite is best suited for earrings, pendants, and other jewelry items that will not encounter abrasion and impact. It is less suited for use in a ring. Many jewelers recommend that “tanzanite rings…

Tanzanite is like all other gems in that small stones are more abundant than larger stones. Most faceted tanzanites are under five carats in weight. Stones over fifty carats are very rare. Small stones are typically cut into calibrated sizes for use in commercial jewelry. Those with top-grade color are the most valuable and often…

Tanzanite is a pleochroic gem. Pleochroism is a physical property in which the material appears to be different colors when viewed from different crystallographic directions. Some specimens of tanzanite can be a distinct blue when viewed from one direction, and vary from violet to reddish when viewed from other directions. The group of three photos…

The four blue faceted gemstones that are most often seen in commercial jewelry in the United States are aquamarine, topaz, sapphire, and tanzanite. Although they are all “blue” in color, each one is unique. Tanzanite occurs in a range of tones and color saturations that will appeal to almost any buyer who likes any of the other blue…