What Is Tanzanite? Tanzanite Birthstone, Meaning, and More
Learn everything you need to know about the intense violet-blue gemstone with this ultimate guide.
Unlike most gemstones, which have been around for centuries, tanzanite is a relatively new finding. Still, in the short time since its discovery in 1967, the intense violet-blue hue of tanzanite has enamored jewelry enthusiasts and geologists alike. It’s one of the most expensive birthstones, belonging to December along with turquoise. This birthstone is connected to the Sagittarius and Capricorn signs. (Not sure what your star sign is? Check out our zodiac 101 guide). Tanzanite jewelry is also the traditional gift for a 24th wedding anniversary. This precious gemstone falls between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Like amethyst, tanzanite is durable but still susceptible to scratching and chipping if not handled with care — unlike diamond, the hardest material on Earth. You don’t have to worry too much, though, as it’s harder than pearl, for instance.
Here, we delve into where tanzanite comes from, its hidden meaning, and how to purchase jewelry that highlights this gemstone — namely, the characteristics to look for in high-quality tanzanite.
In This Article
What Is Tanzanite?
Where Does Tanzanite Come From?
Tanzanite is found exclusively in a small region of the Merelani Hills of northern Tanzania, neighboring the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. In 1967, herders came across blue crystals while tending livestock, and a local prospector misidentified them as sapphire. Later, after miners unearthed more gemstones from the deposit, prospectors were able to correctly identify the blue crystals as a variety of the zoisite mineral species. Tiffany & Co. immediately recognized the great potential of tanzanite and became the first significant distributor of this gemstone. The New York jeweler renamed the stone from “blue zoisite” to “tanzanite” to honor its geographic origin. A year later, Tiffany & Co. introduced the violet-blue stone in a landmark campaign highlighting its uniqueness and beauty, and today, people are still learning about this special gemstone.
Interestingly, geologists speculate that the tanzanite deposit and Mount Kilimanjaro itself formed at the same time, around 2.5 million years ago. This is because trace amounts of vanadium, a rare chemical responsible for tanzanite’s violet-blue color, are present in the gemstone — made possible by the shifting tectonic plates and intense heat that resulted in Africa’s tallest mountain volcano. Since tanzanite is a by-product of Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s unlike other gemstones that are found globally. Think of diamonds, for instance. Diamonds form when carbon atoms crystalize under intense heat and pressure. Carbon is an element found worldwide, so diamond mining isn’t limited to one specific place. Tanzanite, on the other hand, is a finite resource that’s likely to deplete over time and become a valuable collector’s item, as a result.
Tanzanite Meaning and Benefits
Tanzanite is connected to the third eye chakra, or “wheel” in Sanskrit — a term referring to the body’s energy centers in ancient Indian spiritual traditions (specifically, Hindu and Buddhist philosophies). This chakra is thought to be connected to a person’s intuition and intellect. Therefore, many individuals wear tanzanite because they believe in its mystical powers to enhance their ability to think clearly and make important decisions. It’s also believed to bring a person inner peace, wisdom, and tranquility.
Tanzanite Jewelry Buyer’s Guide
Here, you’ll learn to identify the characteristics of high-quality tanzanite, allowing you to make informed decisions about your tanzanite jewelry purchases.
Tanzanite Color
The most important factor to pay attention to regarding tanzanite is color. Tanzanite, in addition to alexandrite, is one of the most popular pleochroic gemstones. Pleochroism means “many colors” in Greek and describes the phenomenon in which a gemstone appears to shift colors when viewed from different angles. This color variation occurs when light passes through a mineral’s crystal structure and splits into two rays at right angles that travel at different speeds. Specifically, tanzanite has a strong trichroism, or display of three colors, including blue, purple, and a hint of red.
The most desirable hue for tanzanite is a vivid violetish-blue with strong color saturation, which is more valuable than tanzanite that has a violet or purple color; this 86.09-carat tanzanite from Tanzanite Jewelry Designs, an online tanzanite jewelry and gemstone retailer, is an excellent example of this hue. As mentioned, tanzanite receives its unique blue-violet color from traces of vanadium, and chromium is responsible for a more purple or slightly reddish appearance in tanzanite.
Smaller tanzanites are usually less saturated in color, which makes larger tanzanites more valuable. Tanzanites weighing five carats or more have fine color, an industry term referring to a gemstone with at least medium to dark tone and high color saturation, which is the highest quality color variation.
Tanzanite Treatments
Since tanzanite with a strong violet-blue color is the most valuable, jewelers often coat paler tanzanites with an ink-like material that deepens its hue. Heat treatment is also common for tanzanite because it’s usually a brownish material in raw form. This process entails using heat to remove the gemstone’s brown undertones, highlighting its blue-violet color as a result. Remember that treated tanzanite is far less valuable than untreated tanzanite because these treatments are nonpermanent and, therefore, wear off over time.
Tanzanite Clarity
In the context of tanzanite, clarity refers to the presence or absence of inclusions and fractures. As in the case of emeralds — one of the most important precious gemstones — natural inclusions are common in tanzanite. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the inclusions are necessarily visible; for instance, even the highest quality tanzanite can have inclusions, but they’re noticeable only under intense magnification. Tanzanite with inclusions you can see with the naked eye are considerably less valuable because its imperfections are more obvious, decreasing its worth.
Tanzanite Cut
The cut of tanzanite has an important bearing on its appearance because of its pleochroism. Expert cutters must thoroughly study tanzanite before cutting it so they can optimize its display of color. To unleash a tanzanite’s rich blue color, they must cut deeper into the rough. This results in more waste and a smaller-carat gemstone. That is why violet- and purple-leaning tanzanite is more common than violet-blue tanzanite. Their cut wastes less of the rough, yielding a larger gemstone. Because of this, cutters must calculate the perfect balance between color and weight for each tanzanite rough.
Tanzanite Carat Weight
The ideal tanzanite weighs at least five carats, the minimum weight to showcase fine color in tanzanites (smaller stones usually have lower intensity in color). As the demand for tanzanite grows and the limited supply diminishes, larger tanzanites have become scarce — making them more desirable and valuable, as a result.
A famous piece highlighting a large tanzanite is the Tiffany & Co. Bird on a Rock brooch, designed in collaboration with the famed French jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger. Schlumberger created the original Bird on a Rock design in 1965 to showcase the Tiffany Diamond — a stunning 128.54-carat fancy yellow diamond (learn more about fancy color diamonds in our types of diamonds guide). He pulled his inspiration from a yellow cockatoo he once encountered. Today the jeweler uses different gemstones with a menagerie of twittering birds. This tanzanite rendition is just as iconic and features a 20-carat emerald-cut tanzanite for a retail price of $115,000.
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