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The showcase of this newly discovered gemstone by Tiffany & Co. in 1967
captured the world's attention and has held it in its thrall ever since
with Tanzanite becoming the most popular gem stone in the world today after
the "Big Four" (diamond, ruby, sapphire, & emerald). It is believed
that the Masai herders were the first people to discover this gemstone.
According to popular myth, a lightning strike near the Merelani hills set
surrounding grasslands on fire. When the Masai herders returned to the area
with their livestock, magical blue stones appeared on the ground. When a
Portuguese geologist, named DeSouza, traveled to this area in Tanzania,
he saw the magnificent blue stone and assisted Tiffany & Co. in introducing
this exciting discovery to the world. With vast deposits in the northern
part of the country near the Merelani hills, Tanzania is the primary commercial
source of tanzanite. Very small deposits have been found in Kenya, but were
not considered large enough for commercial purposes. Until recently. With
Tanzanite's ongoing popularity even these small deposits are now being mined
and have even been the source of armed disputes. When heated to 600 degrees
Celsius, greenish to brownish zoisite undertakes an incredible metamorphosis,
resulting in the creation of this vibrant blue to blue violet gemstone,
Tanzanite. With hardness between 6 and 7 on the Moh's scale, Tanzanite is
quite fragile, and for this reason, ultrasonics should never be used to
clean this precious gem stone. However with an appropriate setting and some
care, all kinds of tanzanite jewelry including Tanzanite rings will provide
their wearer's with endless pleasure. Dazzling as Tanzanite earrings and
Tanzanite necklaces, this rare gemstone speaks volumes about the wearer's
personality and sense of style. In its early discovery, Tanzanite was only
available in small stones; however, today, larger stones have been made
available, providing greater variety to the gemstone market. The lighting
condition is the most critical factor when evaluating the value of these
gem stones. Tanzanite will display the most blue under daylight, while the
violet shade will be more apparent under incandescent light. The stone which
commands the highest value is generally the one which displays minimal violet,
even when it is viewed under incandescent light. It is common to find flawless
tanzanite crystals; therefore, the stone should not contain too many inclusions. |
