Precious metal: 925 Sterling Silver
Average Weight: 2.92g
Number of Gemstones: 5
Shape: Oval and Round
Total Carat Weight: 0.69cts
Birthstone Month:
Tanzanite is one of the accepted birthstones for the month of December.
History & Lore:
1000 times rarer than a diamond, Tanzanite’s name is taken from its place of origin, the country of Tanzania. It was discovered in 1967. It is a very young gemstone in terms of when it was discovered.
It is widely attributed to a Portuguese geologist named Manuel D'Souza who had traveled to Tanzania with the intention of prospecting for Rubies.
The only widely accepted tale regarding the find relates to how it was found. It is believed that Tanzanite was in fact originally discovered by Masai cattle herders who noticed previously brown crystals had been turned blue after having been exposed to the intense heat from the ravaging fires and lightning strikes that take place on the flat and insular mountains surrounding Mount Kilimanjaro.There is very little, in the way of lore surrounding Tanzanite, however, it does have a special meaning to the Masai Tribesmen who discovered it. The Masai's believe that Tanzanite is the stone of birth, and it is for this reason they frequently gift their wives with Tanzanite gemstones following the birth of their first child.
Real concern regarding the long-term future of the Tanzanite gemstone is happening today. No new finds have occurred for over a year and already demand outstrips supply. Additionally, due to the single location of the occurrence of this gem, there may realistically be as little as ten years of mining production before the supply of all jewelry grade Tanzanite is depleted. It may not last even ten years.
Known mostly as a blue gemstone, it is also found in shades of brown, gray, green and purple. Probably the most predominant factor explaining the high demand for this gemstone is that Tanzanite is a stone that exhibits beautiful color changes, and depending upon the angle it is viewed, it most commonly exhibits changes between reddish-purple, blue and deep purple colors, with the most desired and therefore the most valuable color being blue.
Currently, the prices of Tanzanite fluctuate wildly and overall prices per carat of good, gem quality Tanzanite have more than doubled over the past year. This gemstone represents a real opportunity for investment. It is predicted that prices will continue to rise and will likely be very steep once the known deposits have been depleted.
Tanzanite in its natural form is mostly a dull brown color. However, when heated to around 600 degrees Celsius an amazing transformation occurs and the gem changes color to a vibrant blue or purple color. It is noteworthy, that while other gemstones are routinely enhanced / heat-treated in order to create additional color, Tanzanite is heated simply to bring out the color already present in the stone, not to create a better quality gemstone. Heat-treated Tanzanite is considered to be the same quality as non-heat-treated, only a richer color.