Tanzanite belongs to the epidote mineral family and is generally blue or violet in colour, a variety of zoisite that can be blue, green, yellow, brown, pink or colourless. Vivid colours are very attractive and highly valued; this mineral is only found in one place – Tanzania – hence the name. The actual area where this mineral is found is very small (8km x3km), yet there have been some stunning discoveries.

Independent Certification

Unless you happen to be a gem expert, you need to rely on the documentation that comes with tanzanite; the Gem Institute of America (GIA) is one of the main bodies that appraise gemstones and a good quality stone should be independently assessed. Of course, if you commission a custom jeweller to make you a tanzanite jewellery item, once the cut and polish is complete, they would register the stone and obtain the certification on your behalf. Never buy tanzanite without a genuine certificate and the chances are it is a fake.

Unique Colouring

While natural tanzanite is only found in one country, the mines in Tanzania have produced many stunning examples, with striking colour combinations. If you love deep violet, the custom jeweller has loose tanzanite stones for sale and you can select the cut and every aspect of the design. Who wouldn’t love a rich violet tanzanite engagement ring? If you are an outgoing girl and you have a passion for violet, what better way to create an engagement ring than having a bespoke piece of jewellery made by a skilled professional. Some stones have a double colour, depending on the angle viewed, with a blue-violet sparkle, which is very appealing. Fluorescent light brings out the blue, while violet is seen with incandescent light. 

Heat Treatment

This is necessary to bring out the rich hue that tanzanite is known for and the custom jeweller would undertake this heating process, carefully coaxing the best hue and once that is complete, the stone will retain that appealing colour. This is a highly skilled art and only a trained jewellery maker would attempt to heat tanzanite for colour enhancement.

Why Only Tanzania?

The plates of the Earth’s crust underwent serious activity some 585 million years ago and this produced tanzanite. Mount Kilimanjaro is at the centre of the region, where this mineral is found and extensive mining is still going on at the various folds where tanzanite is present. The fact that this mineral is not found anywhere else shows how complex the series of events were that came to produce the heat and pressure needed to create tanzanite.

Changing colours in different light is definitely one of the reasons for the popularity of tanzanite. The custom jeweller can help you choose a stunning central stone for your engagement or wedding ring. The entire process can be completed without ever meeting the jeweller; a few Zoom calls is all it takes to come up with the final design and when that is approved, the jeweller can get to work.