A lovely ring, made of 925
Sterling Silver with 1.53cts of stunning Chameleon Tanzanite and 0.10cts
of glistening White Zircon. Chameleon Tanzanite is also called
Bi-Color. It is 1 million times rarer than a diamond.
Precious metal: 925 Sterling Silver
Average Weight: 2.66g
Number of Gemstones: 5
Shape: Cushion and Round
Total Carat Weight: 1.63cts
Birthstone Month:
Tanzanite is one of the accepted birthstones for the month of December.
History & Lore:
The gemstone’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.
Tanzanite is 1000 times rarer than a diamond.
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 that 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 that 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
almost 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
Tanzanites has been 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 that 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 that these rises 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.