Tanzanite

Take good care…

Tanzanite jewellery requires more care than most gems as it is delicate. We do not advise that it is work in everyday rings. You can clean your tanzanite with a few drops of mild washing up liquid in water.  Use a toothbrush to gently scrub behind the stone, removing the dust and debris that can build up.  

Try to avoid…

Avoid wearing your tanzanite rings every day and especially for strenuous activity or manual labour.  Protect your  tanzanite jewellery by storing it carefully when it’s not being used, preferably in the original box it came in or in a soft, lint-free pouch – to avoid scratching and rubbing.  Always store your tanzanite away from harder gems, such as diamonds, to prevent unnecessary damage.

About your stone…

Tanzanite is only available in one place in the world making it incredibly rare and valuable.  It is found in the Mererani Hills in Tanzania, East Africa.   It was only discovered in 1967 and was named after the country of its origin.   It is available in different shapes and sizes and various colours of blue.  Tanzanite usually has overtones of purple, smaller stones tend to have more lavender colours showing through whereas larger stones show a deeper blue colour.  Tanzanite is ‘trichoric’ which means that the colour depends on the direction you view it.  When it is in the ground, tanzanite has a predominantly bronze colour but with gentle heating the blue colour becomes dominant.

Pearls of wisdom…

Tanzanian legend suggests that the stone was first discovered when the brown crystals were set on fire when lightning struck the dry grass that covered the foothills of Arusha.  The Masai warriors who live in the area noticed the stone turn blue and collected the gems as treasure.

Tanzanite is the birthstone for December.