Tanzanite

About Tanzanite

Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 in the Merelani Hills near Mount Kilimanjaro, and more than half a century of prospecting has never turned up a second commercial deposit. Everything on the market comes from an area you could walk across in an afternoon, and the mines are widely expected to be depleted within a few decades.

The color is a velvety violet-blue that sits somewhere between sapphire and amethyst without being quite either. Tanzanite is strongly trichroic, showing blue, violet and burgundy down its three crystal axes, and the cutter chooses which to favor. Stones cut to emphasize blue command a premium; the violet-dominant material is often the better value and, to many eyes, the more interesting stone.

Nearly all tanzanite is heat treated to remove a brownish component present in the rough. This is universal, permanent and entirely accepted. At 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale with distinct cleavage, tanzanite needs more thought in a ring than sapphire does — it is better protected in a bezel or a halo than sitting proud on prongs.

Why Sharon works with tanzanite

Sharon uses tanzanite in studs, pendants and protected ring settings, and she is candid with clients about its softness relative to sapphire. For someone who wants that specific violet-blue there is no substitute, and it is worth setting properly.

Caring for tanzanite

Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaning — tanzanite has cleavage and dislikes vibration and thermal shock. Warm soapy water and a soft brush only, and remove rings for anything physical.

Common questions about tanzanite