Tanzanite

Gemstones precious or semi-precious have always attracted attention of people all over the world. There are several kinds of gemstones available in the market. Tanzanite is one of them. It is a blue gem with a hint of purple. It is very popular, especially in the US where it has the largest amount of sales. This stone is quite uncommon and yet attractive. Hence, many people crave to possess one of these beauties as an asset. This rare gemstone is found in only one place on earth- Merelani, which is in the East African state called Tanzania. It is from this place that the gem derived its name.

The Merelani mines are fast becoming empty because the demand for this stone is increasing day by day. Supply is very little and hence the price is also high. It was first discovered in the year 1967, since then there has been an ever increasing demand for this stone. In its rough state it is reddish brown in color. After being brought out of the mine it is treated with artificial heat at 600 degrees in a gemological oven. It is then fitted into any kind of jewelry. The scarcity of these gems makes tanzanite jewelry very costly. Women absolutely adore them. Yet another feature that makes these jewelries so appealing is its strong trichroism. This feature allows it to change its color (known as pleochroism) from sapphire blue to violet to burgundy, depending on its crystal orientation.

The world's largest tanzanite is the "Queen of Kilimanjaro", which is set in a tiara on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. It is a relatively soft gem which can be easily be set in necklaces and earrings. These rings can be cut in various shapes such as oval, pear, round, heart, cushion, marquise, etc. This gem encircled with diamonds looks very beautiful. Women find this gem more appealing than others due to its color. It is hardly found in any other color. Green tanzanite is the rarest. Most of these gems are cut in India and then sold in the US market. Since the natural tanzanite has become so rare and its stock is fast diminishing, some laboratories are now trying to produce artificial tanzanite which is called tanzanique. The lab created ones do not have the shine and sparkle of the natural ones. Also, it does not display the pleochroism of the natural tanzanite.

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