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Tanzanite is relatively new on the gemstone
market, but has left its mark. Its blue-lavender color is
rather unique and a wonderful addition to the gemstone palette.
Tanzanite is found only in Tanzania, making it extremely rare and
valuable. A good quality Tanzanite is second only to diamonds.
African folklore says that Tanzanite helps
to slow down and mellow out intense individuals who deal with
pressure on a regular basis. It allows them to lead more productive
and less stressful lives by keeping them more organized and more
sensitive to the people around them. Tanzanite acts as an elixir to
one’s soul; elevating one’s mood and freeing one from negative
habits. It restores balance to an individual by making sure one is
not overly bossy and demanding, and at the same time ensuring that
one is not being taken advantage of. It is believed that owning a
Tanzanite will bring luck and fortune to its bearer.
Maasai tribes are also said to believe that
Tanzanite is the stone of birth because of its blue color, and they
give tanzanite to their wives when they have their first children.
Tanzanite shows different colors when
viewed in different directions. Blue, purple, and bronze are the
three main colors that make up Tanzanite, adding subtle depths to
its beautiful color. When Tanzanite is first found in the ground, it
is mostly bronze. However, when Tanzanite is heated, the blue color
begins to bloom and intensify, transforming the brown hues of the
mineral Zoisite to the mesmerizing lavender and blue colors of
Tanzanite. This treatment is stable and permanent.
Legend has it that this incredible effect
of heat was first discovered when brown zoisite crystals laying on
the ground with other rocks were caught in a fire set by lightning
that swept through the grassy hills northeast of Tanzania. The
Maasai herders of Tanzania who were traveling in the region were the
first ones to notice the brilliance and luminosity of the newly
formed blue colored crystals, becoming the very first Tanzanite
collectors.
The blue variety of Tanzanite is more
expensive than the purple variety, and therefore can usually be seen
in Tanzanite gems over 4 carats. Tanzanite jewelry is a little more
delicate and fragile than other gemstone jewelry and should not be
worn during strenuous activity.
Today, Tanzanite remains one of the newest,
most exciting, and most popular gemstones in the industry,
completely transforming the jewelry world with its new colors,
varieties, and variations. This gemstone is mined in only one place
in the entire world. It is becoming extremely rare due to the
exhaustion of the mines and will soon disappear altogether.
Although it is not a birthstone, Tanzanite
is a recommended gift for couples celebrating their 24th wedding
anniversary, according to contemporary jewelers' anniversary
gemstone lists. |
