Tanzanite Details

Tanzanites are blue to violet to bluish purple and are found at only one place in the world near Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.   When the stones were first found in the 1960s there was hope that it was new sapphire deposit, but it turned out that this was a new stone only to be found in a 20-mile square radius.  Tiffany and Co. first recognized the stone's potential, named it Tanzanite after the area it had been found in and it has since become a stone to rival the "Big 3," which are Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. 

Given that there is only one source it is estimated that at the current levels of mining that the supply will be depleted within 25 years.

The fact that these incredible stones are found in only one spot make them extremely coveted and a "gemstone of a generation." It is so named because only people in this generation will be able to buy the stones from the primary market before the supply is exhausted.

Like diamonds, tanzanite is rated on the 4 C's...clarity, cut, color and carat.  Along with Zircon and Turquoise the tanzanite is the December birthstone.  It is a gem for the 24th anniversary.

The tanzanite is a pleochroic stone which means that 3 distinct colors will be seen in 3 crystal directions. This stone is a 6 to 7 on Mohs scale which means that some level of care must be taken not to hit or drop the stone.  It should not be cleaned using ultrasound or touch acids.