December is honoured with three birthstones, the third being the rare and eternal Tanzanite. In October 2002, Tanzanite was added to the official birthstone list by the American Gem Trade Association as an additional birthstone for December.
The ancients believe that the gemstone offers wearers a special pathway to the spiritual realm, activates Chakras from the heart and is a stone that brings visions to the wearer. Many believe that the tanzanite forces the wearer to tell the truth, redeeming one’s honour and integrity. The majestic beauty of Tanzanite not only boasts of lush appeal, but is also believed to help in combating health-related issues and bringing success in life.
Today, Tanzanite is the only coloured gemstone with its own grading system.
It is a “Trichroic” gemstone; meaning that the gem manifests three colours when viewed from various angles. It radiates a blue, violet and or a burgundy (berry) colour, with either blue; or violet, on a dominant shade. The “berry’’ colour will be more noticeable in the dominant violet gems.
All shades and colours are rare due to the exceptional limitation of the source of Tanzanite, known to be limited to a single generation. As with all coloured gems, the larger the sizes with vibrant, intense colours and matching pairs, will command the premium prices.
Due to its crystalline structure; Tanzanite is not an easy gem to cut and polish. Of all the shapes, triangular “trillion’’ the most expensive with round a close second. This is purely due to the “loss’’ or wastage to obtain these shapes.
Tanzanite generally has the least amount of inclusions compared to other coloured gemstones. This makes the Tanzanite gems most likely eye clean and of little concern to the wearer.
The Mohs hardness scale is used to indicate the hardness of minerals. Tanzanite is indicated as 6.5 to 7 similar to the quarts family making it a strong gem to wear. As with all gems, care should be taken to prevent any hard knocks and scratches and should be stored carefully.
Tanzanite is a captivating gemstone that has show-stopping appeal. The sheer elegance and vibrancy of this timeless gem is sure to hypnotize and captivate. With so many advantages, this enthralling gemstone is one of the most adored stones in the world and is considered to be the essence of Africa.