5 Interesting Facts About Tanzanite Stone
Tanzanite is one of the rarest and most exquisite-looking gemstones and is becoming more well-known for its vibrant and enchanting blue hue. Despite being a fairly new stone, it has various amazing qualities that make it a worthwhile investment.
You can also find a variety of stunning jewelry pieces featuring a tanzanite stone. Since this stone is still new to the gemstone and jewelry market, I bet there are so many things you don't know about tanzanite!
Are you curious to unravel and learn some interesting facts about tanzanite stone? If yes, you are at the right place. Let's get started.
It was originally called blue zoisite
Most people don't know this, but the tanzanite gemstone had a different name originally. When this stunning blue stone was first discovered and examined, its composition revealed it to be a rare variety of blue zoisite crystal, and that's how it got the name blue zoisite.
Shortly after, Tiffany and Co., one of the best and most well-known American jewelers, fell in love with this blue gem and saw the potential in it to be a rival of the famous and precious gemstone Sapphire. They gave this gem a new name, tanzanite, which is more catchy and does justice to the gem’s beauty and rarity.
Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania
You'd be surprised to learn that there is just one known source for tanzanite, unlike other popular stones like sapphires, diamonds, or emeralds, which can be found in various places across the world It makes it one of the rare gemstones
The only place you can discover tanzanite is across a small area at the base of a dormant volcano, Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania
The largest rough tanzanite was discovered in 2020
The Mawenzi used to hold the record for the biggest tanzanite stone ever found. However, things changed in 2020 when two new tanzanite stones pieces were found.
Saninui Laizer, a small-scale miner from Simanjiro in the Manyara region, was the person to make this discovery. The Tanzanian government purchased these two untreated stones, weighing 9.2kg and 5.8 kg, for 4.5 and 3.3 billion Tanzanian shillings respectively.
If you ever visit Tanzania, you can see these two stones on display in a local museum.
One of the birthstones of December
You might not know this, but this stunning gemstone is also one of the three birthstones for December, along with zircon and turquoise.
Many believe that wearing a piece of jewelry, such as a ring, necklace, or bracelet featuring the birthstone, brings luck, fortune, and happiness to the wearer.
December borns are lucky enough to have this stunning and powerful gemstone as their birthstone! It can give you the extra push you need in your life and offer you strength, love, luck, and more.
It has trichroic features
The distinctive trichroic quality of a tanzanite stone is another trait that makes it interesting. Although tanzanite is famous for its rich blue hue, most people are unaware of the fact that this gem has so much more to offer!
You will be amazed to see that it exhibits different colors and tones when you place it under different lighting or see it from various angles, thanks to tanzanite's trichroic nature.
For instance, the tanzanite gemstone might show a vibrant royal blue color when you place it under direct sunlight or white light. However, when you keep it under incandescent lighting, it might display gorgeous undertones of red or violet. Isn't that fascinating? You get the best of both worlds with tanzanite!
It is much rarer than diamonds
You might find it shocking, but, as compared to diamonds, tanzanites are considered to be a thousand times rarer! That's because, unlike other gemstones, tanzanite is available only in Tanzania, and that too in a small region.
Did you know that the same tectonic plate movement that led to the creation of Mount Kilimanjaro and Tanzania's Great Rift Valley also led to the formation of this gemstone? Such formation of tanzanite makes this stone so rare.
Parting Thoughts
These were just a few of the many interesting facts about tanzanite stone. Tanzanite is a beautiful gemstone known for its gorgeous blue hue and incredible rarity. Tanzanite jewelry is also becoming increasingly popular among people nowadays. Did this gem win your heart? You can find good-quality loose stones and jewelry pieces featuring this gemstone at GemsNY!