Tanzania’s Blue Gem
Tanzania is the only place in the world where the extraordinary precious Tanzanite gem is found. Taking its name from the country whose earth created it over many millennia,
Tanzanite was given its name by Tiffany & Co. Varying in colour from deep blue to purple,
Tanzanite was only first discovered in 1967 in the Mererani Hills of Northern Tanzania,
near the city of Arusha a
nd the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro – the only known place in
the world where the rare gem is found. Tanzanite’s colour is dependent on the crystal orientation and is therefore noted for its
remarkable light reflection which seemingly changes colour. Once cut and polished,
Tanzanite becomes a kaleidoscope of royal blue, violet, indigo, lilac and periwinkle. It is this unique vibrant colour, which gives Tanzanite it’s immediately recognisable
identity and contributes to its special positioning in both the gemstone and the fine jewellery markets. History
Tanzanite was only discovered in 1967 and when geologists realised it was a ‘never seen before’ gemstone,
it came to the attention of Tiffany & Co who named it Tanzanite (after Tanzania – the country where it comes
from, and Zoisite – the gemstone family it belongs to). This identification by the Gemological Institute of America was corroborated by mineralogists at Harvard University,
the British Museum, and Heidelberg University; however credit for first correct identification is given to a Tanzanian
government geologist in Dodoma, Ian McCloud. first marketed the gem as Tanzanite, it has become one of the most coveted stones in the world. Tanzanite is as hard as garnet, emerald or amethyst and is commonly used in necklaces and earrings. World’s largest Tanzanite
The largest faceted Tanzanite in the world is 737.81 carats. The “Queen of Kilimanjaro” is one of the most renowned
Tanzanites and is 242 carats and set in a tiara with 803 brilliant cut tsavorite garnets and 913 brilliant cut diamonds –
which is owned by Michael Scott, the first CEO of Apple Computers. In August 2005, the biggest known Tanzanite crystal was
found in a mine controlled by TanzaniteOne, weighing 16,839 carats (3.4 kg) and measuring 22 cm × 8 cm × 7 cm. Mining
After discovery in 1967 through to nationalisation in 1972, it was estimated that two-million carats of Tanzanite were mined
in Tanzania. Through the mining of Tanzanite, the Tanzanian government earns approximately USD20-million a year. The US market is the biggest consumer of Tanzanite gems and sales total approximately USD500-million per year. Tanzanite was named the gemstone of the 20th century, but the journey of each stone began millions of years before that. A geological phenomenon, Tanzanite is found in unusual elevations on a vast plain in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanite crystals grew here under the ground – hidden from the eye of man until 1967. Through strict regulation and membership of 90 percent of merchants becoming official members of the
International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA), Tanzanite trade has been protected against unethical
practices and is passed on along reputable trade routes to established cutting-centres and major jewellers worldwide. Tanzanite stones reflect the person who wears them – often described as immaculate, elegant, and rare. Large good quality Tanzanites are highly sought after; not only because of their exquisite colour,
but also the exclusivity that comes with their origin in Tanzania. Rare
Tanzanite is a rare and precious gemstone and is 1,000 times rarer than diamond. Tanzanite’s formation is so unusual that it has been described as a ‘geographical phenomenon’. The world’s only known source is a thin strip of land at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania,
East Africa. Experts maintain that the chance of Tanzanite occurring elsewhere is ‘one in a million’. Tanzanite is an unparalleled stone with such rarity, that it has its own category in the triad made up of diamonds,
gemstones, and Tanzanite. Birthstone
In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) selected Tanzanite as the December birthstone,
adding it to a list of birthstones unchanged since 1912. However, Tanzanite is generally regarded as the stone of
new life and new beginnings; as blue has always been a sacred, spiritual colour to the Maasai. Customarily, only women who have been blessed with fertility have the honour of wearing blue beads and fabric. Heirloom
With a finite supply from a single source, Tanzanite is an heirloom to be passed on from generation to generation. This generation may be the last of its first time owners – ‘the Tanzanite generation’. Beuty
Tanzanite's exquisite color, poised intriguing Blue and Violet, is unlike that of any
other gemstone. In its rough form,tanzanite is uniquely trichroic ,radiating three different colors from neach
of its chrystallographyic exes,it becomes a kaleidoscope of royal Blue, Violet, |Indigo, Lilac and periwinkle. It is this unique color,vibrant and youthful, that gives tanzanite a strong,
immediately recognizable identity and contributes to its special positioning in both the gemstones and fine jewelry markets.
