Their are many stories surrounding the discovery of Tanzanite a purple blue variety of the mineral Zoisite. It was however Manuel D Sousa a tailor of Goan descent who lived in Moshi a town at the foothills of Kilimanjaro who is credited with bringing the stone to the attention of the world. Many people have been credited with its identification but that honour goes to Ian McCloud a Tanzanian Government Geologist based in Dodoma.
Tiffany and Company referred to Tanzanite as one of the most exciting discoveries of the 20 th century and its has over the years grown from strength to strength. Current estimates put the value of Tanzanite industry at 300 million USD.
Tanzanite and Heat Treatment
90% of Tanzanite is heat treated. The preformed stones are placed in a calibrated oven and the heat raised in increments of 200 degrees for a 6 hour period. The oven is then allowed to cool over a 6 hour period the stones removed and given their final polish. It is unusual to find Tanzanite as a blue gem in its raw form. The rough stones are usually a honey colour sometimes with flashes of red.
Tanzanite and Jewellery
It should always be remembered that Tanzanite is a very soft gemstone with a hardness of 6 on the Moh,s. It is therefore very important that Tanzanite is set in the correct setting. As a rule it is not a stone for everyday use and is not meant for engagement or wedding rings. It can be used in dress rings but is more suited to Pendants and Earrings.
Tanzanite As An Investment Stone
The use of the term investment when it comes to stones is used very freely and a number of factors have to be taken into consideration. The first consideration is price. Are you paying a market related price or the rent for a expensive Jewellery Store? Secondly what is the quality of the stone?
The quality of the stone is greatly effected by colour, cut, brilliance, clarity.
The first step is to ensure that the stone has proper and independent certificate. Many unscrupulous dealers will resort to providing so-called certificates with their stones. It is important to note that only a qualified gemologist may provide a legitimate certificate.
Before making the decision to invest in a Tanzanite do your research.
Valley Gems As A Supplier Of Tanzanite:
Chris Stylianou of Valley Gems was born in Tanzania and his love affair with Tanzanite started in the 1990,s when he brought stones to South Africa. Nobody knew what it was and after struggling to sell the stock ended up giving much of it away to family and friends
In the late 90,s Tanzanite became very popular and as a stone has gone from strength to strength, Valley Gems has been at the forefront of the supply of quality stones.
All our stones are independently graded and certified and we are very confident that as a result of our close ties with the suppliers in Tanzania we are able to offer very competitive
