Tanzanite’s only known source in the world is along a 5km strip of land near Mount Kilimanjaro, northern Tanzania. This single, limited source renders tanzanite at least 1 000 times more than diamonds.
Tanzanite Facts
FACT 1
FACT 2
Tanzanite is uniquely trichroic. This means that in its rough form, it radiates three different colours from each of its crystallographic axes: blue, violet and red. Once cut and polished, tanzanite ranges from electric violets to vibrant blues, deep royals and rich indigos.
FACT 3
Tanzanite is the official birthstone for December.
FACT 4
Tanzanite has been attributed with qualities of good luck and prosperity, and associated with celebrations of new life and new beginnings.
FACT 5
Tanzanite is becoming increasingly recognised as an heirloom due to its very limited supply and rarity.
FACT 6
Amongst the Maasai, the colour blue is seen as sacred and spiritual, and this coupled with its characteristics of new life have brought about a tradition where Tanzanite is given to Maasai women after the birth of a child as an offering of health, positivity and prosperity to the child.
FACT 7
The Maasai Tribesmen give it to all their newborn children as a bearer of good fortune.
FACT 8
The biggest tanzanite in the world is a single large crystal of 16,839 carats well over 3kg. It has been named “The Mawenzi” after Kilimanjaro’s second highest peak.
FACT 9
Tanzanite was discovered for the first time in 1967, in Tanzania, East Africa.
FACT 10
Tanzanite comes in a variety of blue colours with a deep saturated blue colour being the most valuable.
FACT 11
When found in a rough state the remarkable gemstone is usually in a reddish brown colour. After receiving a heat treatment at approximately 700 degree Celsius the colour blue is enhanced.
FACT 12
Tanzanite measures as 6 to a 7 of the Mohs scale of hardness.
FACT 13
The Anniversary Gemstone List has made the tanzanite the ideal gemstone gift for the 24th year of marriage.
FAQS
All your tanzanite questions answered
Want to know more about tanzanite durability, origin, scarcity, cost, colours or grading system? Our FAQ section is updated regularly
HISTORY & ORIGIN
Tanzanite was born 550 years ago
As testimony to its rarity, Tanzanite remained unknown until 1967 when it was discovered in Tanzania, at what is the still the world’s only known source.
LEGEND OF AYANDA
A Masai story of Tanzanite has a long and turbulent history
The Queen of Tanzanite, is an exclusive range of exceptional quality loose tanzanite stones and unique tanzanite jewellery.
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