Tanzanites

This is one of my favourite rings. It has a genuine Tanzanite set in the area of Tanzania on the little African map.

I love Tanzanite. Cheaper ones are very light in colour, but the most expensive ones (which I will never be able to afford) are a deep violet blue. Tanzanites are one of very few trichroic (having three layers of colour) gems. Tanzanites differ in shade (and look different under different lighting conditions) but most of them shift violet, blue-violet, indigo, violet-blue, or blue. Most Tanzanites are natural, but heat-treated. You do find nicely coloured zirconia stones though, if you want that blue-purple shift without the eye-watering price tag.

Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 in Tanzanite, and this ‘blue zoisite’ was named Tanzanite by Tiffany & Co. Apparently, zoisite sounded too much like suicide. Tanzanite is only found in Simanjiro District of Manyara Region in Tanzania, in a very small mining area in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. It has been one of few gemstones recognised over the past century, and the mining of tanzanite is very strictly regulated and controlled over the small area in which it is found. It is now the birthstone for December, and the anniversary stone for 24 years.

I have several pieces of tanzanite, in the shade I can afford, which is a darkish purple. My ‘Africa map’ ring in sterling silver, a pair of sterling silver studs, and a 14kt gold ring with three tanzanites. I recently managed to find a gorgeous tanzanite and sterling silver bracelet. I am so lucky that all my stones are more or less the same shade.