Suppose you’re looking for a unique piece of jewelry that’s a tad eccentric but still elegant and unique. Blue-colored gems are bound to draw your attention. Look no further than tanzanite if you want to stand out with your gemstone choice; its dreamy blue hues can make any jewelry piece stunning.
This complete guide to buying tanzanite jewelry will give you insight into everything you need to know about this mesmerizing gem.
What Is Tanzanite?
Tanzanite is an exquisite blue form of the mineral zoisite and is the most famous type of this stone. It’s one of the rarest gemstones in the world, found only in one place on Earth. It’s almost 1,000 times rarer than a diamond, making it a one-of-a-kind stone choice. Found in a small area on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, tanzanite is often called a geological phenomenon. This stone provides a rare blue hue that is unlike any other gemstone.
Its unique, multidimensional color is the most prominent thing about this sultry gemstone. This feature is called pleochroism and reflects different colors when viewed from different angles. These colors range from lush blues to lilac, beautiful violet, ultramarine, and deep indigo.
How Much Does Tanzanite Cost?
As of 2022, this gemstone’s prices have fallen considerably due to the recent worldwide pandemic. This gemstone is well-known for its quick and dramatic price changes. Currently, you can buy fine examples of this gemstone at a relatively low price, some going below $500 per carat.
Tanzanite’s color desirability is unquestionable. It’s regarded as one of the most valuable gemstones on the market today. Retail sales of this unique gem sell for as much as $2,000 per carat for top-grade stones. This makes it a most desirable blue gemstone.
Depending on the quality, tanzanite’s current price per carat ranges between $100 and $800. Its price is prone to variations based on the weight and availability of this gemstone. Other factors affecting tanzanite’s value are the color depth and quality in daylight, or incandescent lighting since its color is its most valued feature. Clarity, cut type, quality, and polish also impact the price range for this gemstone, as clean gems with top color are priced at around $1,000 per carat. Color rarity is one of the defining price criteria. The price for rare pinks and violets can be two to three times costlier than the blue hues.
7 Tips for Buying Loose Tanzanite
When buying loose tanzanite, there are some factors you need to consider. Judging this stone’s quality is similar to picking out a diamond. All 4Cs of diamond quality – color, clarity, carat Weight, and cut – also apply to tanzanite.
Here are some tips on how to buy top-tier loose tanzanite and invest your money wisely.
- Tanzanite’s color quality closely relates to its size; the larger the stone, the deeper the color.
- Darker shades of tanzanite are more expensive.
- Ask for a discount if you see any small cracks or inclusions on the gem with the naked eye.
- Top-grade stones are eye-clean.
- Go for well-cut, symmetrical gems.
- Shallower cuts are cheaper due to lighter carat weight.
- The best way to judge a tanzanite’s actual size is to measure it face-up, checking its length and width.
Every tanzanite is unique; there are no two alike. Its special appeal lies in its endless color versatility and how these speak to you.
Tanzanite History
Tanzanite is a relatively new discovery. Its history is modern, dating back just to 1967. The honors for its discovery go to Maasai herders who found alluring blue gems in the Merelani Hills in northern Tanzania. Initially mistaken for sapphire, these blue crystals were identified as vibrant forms of zoisite. Later, a prospector named Manuel d’Souza asked the government to begin mining these stones.
This sultry, blue gem’s history quickly progressed to mainstream recognition when Tiffany & Co. became its primary distributor. Since “blue zoisite” didn’t sound much like a catchy commercial name, Tiffany named the gem “tanzanite” due to its discovery in northern Tanzania. The first promotional campaign for tanzanite took place in 1968. Soon after, this gemstone became a strong rival of the more expensive blue sapphire.
This exceptional gemstone’s prices have fluctuated wildly over its relatively short 45-year history. Going back to the 1970s, Tiffany had exclusive marketing rights to this gemstone and sold it at around $400 per carat for top grades. Since they gave up these rights, this gem’s price jumped. Distribution and demand increased in the mid-1980s, just before more extensive Tanzanite deposits were discovered. Until that moment, the tanzanite price peaked at over $1,000 per carat.
Today, tanzanite’s scarcity affects its value due to its inconsistent supply. The Tanzanian government has attempted to end smuggling issues by restricting the mining area. This intervention has disrupted the channels of distribution and affected this stone’s price depending on the current demand.
Tanzanite Meaning
Tiffany & Co. named tanzanite one of the most beautiful stones ever. The gem’s vibrant color changes with sunlight, softening the blueish hues into soft violet or deepening them into dark blue. Spiritual guides and healers often associate the color blue with healing and high vibration, so it isn’t any wonder they highly appreciate this stone.
Tanzanite is a gemstone of transformation. It’s also believed to facilitate a higher consciousness and stimulate intuition, bringing a soothing presence with its color. Tanzanite is associated with elegance and indulgence, making it suitable for various kinds of high-class jewelry.
The ever-changing blue hues of this stone are said to bring composure and harmony to those who wear it. Some say that wearing tanzanite jewelry may help you slow down and be more mindful. It allows for dissolving old, dysfunctional thoughts and patterns and is more in tune with a balanced mind.
For those interested in the healing properties of crystals, tanzanite is also said to aid in emotional healing. It reminds us to take the initiative and be in charge of ourselves. The vibrancy of its blue instills a sense of confidence in its wearer that is centered and authentic. Its spiritual interpretations allude to the connection with the third eye and throat chakra and its healing properties.
This vibrant blue gemstone is most commonly used in jewelry. However, loose tanzanite finds many different uses. Putting it into a home or an office or carrying it in a gemstone sack are all ways to welcome its unique power.
Tanzanite Birthstone
If you or someone you love was born in December, you’re lucky, since tanzanite is one of your birthstones. Tanzanite radiates timeless beauty and Tiffany & Co., the world’s most prominent jewelry vendor, highly treasures it.
Tanzanite is one of four December birthstones, becoming so in 2002. It’s featured on the list along with zircon, turquoise, and blue topaz. All of these stones are beautiful but feature different qualities. Tanzanite stands out among them with its vibrant blue-purple color and pleochroism.
This gemstone allows for various cutting styles due to the crystal’s ability to show different colors depending on the viewing direction. Tanzanite jewelry makes a great present for someone born in December. Gift your Sagittarius or Capricorn with this semi-precious gemstone and make their special day even more exquisite.
Tanzanite Color Guide
Tanzanite’s high value lies not only in its rarity, but also in its fancy color grades. These gorgeous colors vary due to the amount and ratio of chromium and vanadium in the stone. Tanzanite’s color grades and cut quality are a large part of what determines the gemstone’s market value.
Tanzanite is found in a wide range of color brightness and saturation levels. Any gem buyer who appreciates blue gems will find these very appealing, as they vary from a very light blue to vivid, more deep indigo shades. Many tanzanite gems also feature violet hues.
However, the prime rule of tanzanite color grading is that the darker and more saturated the color, the rarer and more expensive the gem.
This gemstone’s unique color grading is often the main feature when someone is deciding on a purchase. It’s a pleochroic stone, meaning it appears in different colors depending on the point of view. Pleochroism is known to complicate the cutting process of this gemstone, making it a challenging task for gem cutters. Tanzanite is actually trichroic, meaning it has a three-color axis. The blue-to-violet hues and their intensity vary depending on the viewing angle and blend smoothly with each other.
Tanzanite color grading affects its market value. Due to its trichroism, it’s challenging to determine a single color of this gemstone. Many gemstone specialists refer to the stone’s lightness or darkness when discussing tanzanite’s color. However, saturation is the most important factor when grading this gemstone.
Although all tanzanite can show two different colors at once, it usually leans toward one more than the other. Here’s a more in-depth explanation of these colors.
Violet Dominant
Fine tanzanite has a purplish blue color leaning toward soft violet. These color grades are often referred to as violetish-blue or vB, depending on the size of the gem. Very large tanzanite tends to display highly saturated violetish-blue with flashes of the third, blended color.
Depending on how the cutter chooses to orient the gem, some tanzanite stones may appear more purple. The color dominance depends on whether the gem is polished from the long or the short axis.
Violet-dominant tanzanite ranges from deep, intensely saturated purple to light lilac, almost pink hues. Dark-purple gems are more expensive due to their rarity. Lighter-colored stones leaning toward lilac tend to be less expensive, but still lovely.
Violetish-blue tanzanite is also regarded as the Heirloom (AAAA) stone. These make up the top 1% of tanzanite currently in the world. These gems are usually considered eye-clean in that they do not display any visible flaws to the naked eye.
Blue Dominant
Blue-dominant tanzanite is the best option when it comes to investment. It’s rarer and more desired by consumers, who naturally gravitate toward deeper colors. Blue-dominant tanzanite usually features more intense saturation than violet-leaning stones.
Also known as Best (AAA) graded gems, these versions of tanzanite make up 10% of the world’s supply. Like their violet-leaning counterparts, these gems are most often eye-clean, showing no visible flaws.
Tanzanite featuring more saturated blue is often cut with impeccable care. Gem cutters spend a lot of time examining rough stones to yield the maximum face-up blue in these stones. They’re precision-cut and designed to radiate vibrant blue hues to make the stone appear more extravagant.
At one time, the most popular tanzanite color was the blue zoisite. This hue was regarded as a top-tier version for a long time because it was the closest form to the original tanzanite. However, market changes have affected the color popularity, and this hue was replaced by pastel and purple variations.
Blue-dominant stones are the best bang for your buck when purchasing these gemstones for investment. They’re more likely to yield a higher return from the investment point of view. They rank highly on the tanzanite color chart due to their rarity. If you find sapphires too expensive, then blue-leaning tanzanite is the perfect substitute.
Deep Royal Blue
The deep, dark blue hue of tanzanite is unlike any other gem color. It’s considered the top-tier form of tanzanite, as the high saturation of this color indicates the highest grade and value. The deeper the color, the more value it has.
Due to tricrhoism, even deep-blue tanzanite can appear royal violet under incandescent light. Red flashes are common in this tanzanite color. Under warmer light sources like incandescent light, tanzanite absorbs shorter wavelengths (blues) and emits longer ones. That leads to them appearing pink to even red on some occasions.
Deep-blue tanzanite stones are usually very large. Stones over 50 carats are commonly found to be deep blue. There have been findings of tanzanite gems over 100 carats that had such an intense blue, it almost looked black.
Pastel Tanzanite
Pastel-leaning tanzanite stones are the most common type of these gems. They make up close to 80% of the mining production of tanzanite, ranging from soft, grayish blues to bright lilac colors.
Medium violet-dominant tanzanite gems are regarded as pastel, and fall into the Better (AA) category. They make up about 33% of tanzanite production. These gems often show slight inclusions on the surface and within the stones.
Smaller stones tend to be pastel-colored, as opposed to their larger, darker counterparts. Small, color-rich tanzanite gemstones are rare, and their weight usually ranges between 1 and 3 carats. Tanzanite gems of this carat size often present as medium-colored at their best.
Multicolor Tanzanite
While all tanzanite gemstones are pleochroic, they usually lean toward one color more than another. Multicolor stones can show exceptional color versatility under different light settings. This means that you’ll find tanzanite that flashes a wide color range from standard blue and violet to red, green, yellow, or orange hues.
Tanzanite’s unique crystal composition causes this phenomenon, and it’s completely natural. These attractive color combinations often make it a preferred choice among buyers. With its versatile color range, tanzanite adds an appealing dynamic to its base colors.
Tanzanite Clarity Guide
Clarity is one of the essential items to consider when purchasing tanzanite, especially as an investment. Tanzanite’s clarity grades measure several natural inclusions found in the stone. High clarity adds to the stone’s radiance and brilliance, which are the rarest and most valuable. At the other end of the spectrum, lower-quality grades put the gemstone at risk of cracking and breaking.
Flawless tanzanite can be found in nature. However, the more inclusions tanzanite has, the lower its value. Grading clarity in tanzanite can sometimes take work due to its versatile color. This gemstone’s pleochroic features sometimes hide inclusions from the naked eye.
Tanzanite clarity grades are similar to a diamond’s. Unlike diamonds though, grading this stone’s clarity emphasizes whether the gemstone is eye-clean. Diamond clarity grades stone flaws by several inclusions visible under magnification. With tanzanite, the most important thing is whether the gemstone’s marks are visible to the naked eye, without using a jeweler’s loupe or another magnifying device.
Here is an overview of tanzanite clarity grades.
Internally Flawless (IF)
Internally Flawless tanzanite doesn’t show inclusions even when magnified up to 10 times. These are the eye-clean tanzanite gemstones and are the ones most sought after. This tanzanite also falls under the Gemological Institute of America’s highest grade system, equivalent to or higher than VVS clarity grade in diamonds.
Very Very Slight Inclusions (VVS)
Tanzanite with a VVS clarity grading show minor inclusions similar to tiny specs, visible only when you magnify the stone 10 times. Although these inclusions are slight, they’re still not considered internally flawless.
Very Slight Inclusions (VS)
Tanzanite with the VS clarity grade has imperfections that are similar to VVS inclusions but are slightly more pronounced. You’ll see these inclusions with the naked eye, but they are less noticeable than in the slightly included (SI) grade further down the scale.
Slightly Included (SI)
Tanzanite with the SI grade means the gemstone has visible inclusions through the gemstone’s crown. These inclusions are small but obviously visible to the naked eye. Typical SI inclusions look like tiny feathers, faint clouds, low-relief needles, and light-included crystals. Due to these imperfections, SI graded tanzanite are usually sold at a lower cost.
Moderately Included (MI)
Moderately included tanzanite means you can easily see flaws, even with an untrained eye. These stones often feature larger included crystals, higher relief needles, and more prominent feathers.
Highly Included (HI)
Tanzanite gemstones graded highly included have apparent and significant flaws. These inclusions are visible immediately to the naked eye.
An additional factor when grading tanzanite’s clarity is where the inclusions are positioned. Some positions put the stone at risk of breakage, like significant inclusions near the cullet or the stone’s corner. Inclusions located in a discreet place will have less effect on the stone’s quality.
If you decide to go for flawed tanzanite, remember to check if it contains any inclusions in a compromising area that could lead to breakage.
Shop Tanzanite Rings
Tanzanite jewelry is perfect for any occasion, in addition to December birthdays. Tanzanite rings in particular are sophisticated, elegant, and unique. Surprise your special someone with a tanzanite engagement ring, or purchase one to pass down to the generations that follow.
Estate Diamond Jewelry is yet to introduce tanzanite rings to the collection. However, here’s a roundup of the best tanzanite rings you can currently find online.
- Tanzanite and diamond twisted vine ring cushion-cut
- Round 3-stone tanzanite and white diamond ring
- Solstice tanzanite and diamond ring in white gold
- Round-cut tanzanite and diamonds ring in white gold
- Heart-shaped tanzanite and diamond ring
- 3-stone oval-cut tanzanite and diamond ring
Shop Tanzanite Bracelets
Tanzanite bracelets are a beautiful addition to any style. Wearing this stylish gemstone on the wrist tells everyone around you about your refined taste. They’re timeless fashion choices and add grace to your appearance.
Tanzanite bracelets still need to be made available for purchase at Estate Diamond Jewelry. Regardless, here are some of the most beautiful tanzanite bracelets you can shop for online.
- The oval-cut tanzanite tennis bracelet
- The soft violet flower-cut tanzanite tennis bracelet
- Miracle-set light blue tanzanite bracelet
- Adjustable light-blue tennis tanzanite and zircon bracelet
- Elegant chain tanzanite bracelet in white gold
- Square-cut violet tanzanite bracelet
- Ice gems soft blue tanzanite bracelet
Shop Tanzanite Earrings
If you’re interested in subtle and unique tanzanite jewelry, then a pair of earrings may do the trick. Their radiant color fits any outfit and style, adding to the classy appeal. They make a valuable and timeless accessory to gift to your loved ones.
Estate Diamond Jewelry currently does not offer tanzanite earrings. However, here are some of the most beautiful tanzanite earrings you can find online.
