Did you know that there is something common-between Humanity and Tanzanite?, Tanzanite shares its birthplace with the first stirrings of humanity: The East African nation of Tanzania known to be The fertile source of gem riches: Even though, first thought to be blue Sapphire, Tanzanite's rarity and exotic origin are also part of its fascination, quite unknown until 1967 and relatively newcomer to the Gemstone Kingdom, near Mount Kilimanjaro noticed blue crystals sparkling the sky after a lightning strike near the Merelani hills set surrounding grassland on fire, the discovery of this stone was made by a traveling Portuguese Gemologist who introduced this stone to the world. Tanzanite's mineralogical name is "zoisite". 

After an extensive marketing campaign coined the name ": Tanzanite" in honor of the gem's birth place, Tanzania. It was indeed a long journey from the parched plains of Africa to the glittering showcases of Fifth Avenue.

Even though Tanzanite is geologically rich, by any standards, unfortunately, its birth place Tanzania still remains economically undeveloped, Very limited money is available for building the supporting infrastructure such as roads , especially water pipelines since during the highest rainfall months (December -May) mining is generally hampered, in 1978 and 1987, cholera epidemics virtually halted all mining operations in North Tanzania, and the ongoing outburst of AIDS has had a devastating impact on the African population, including the work force.

In 1988 the Tanzanian government temporarily opened the Merelani mining area. Tens of thousands of hungry miners descended upon the district, as the world turned, workers hollowed hundreds of holes and burrows yielding thousands of carats of Tanzanite.

Interestingly, Tanzanite is a gemstone that is found in only one locality, unlike Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire that are found in many countries throughout the world, even though being discovered for almost forty years, people are gradually becoming aware of it, possibly, due to the unusual large stock that hit the market in 1980s. The greater supply also had the effect on lowering the prices, now fine Tanzanite is in scarcity again and of course the prices are not the same, but Tanzanite now has found its own path to the jewelry stores all over the world.

Gemstone Prices are determined like those of other commodities: by supply and demand. Short supply and high demand equal high price; short supply and moderate demand equal lesser price, even for a gem that may be rarer and/or of finer quality. The colored gemstone market isn't controlled as the diamond market is. De Beers sets the marketing, thus artificially determining price, By contrast, there is no centralized mining cartel controlling the supply of colored gemstones like Tanzanite. In other words, the prices of colored gemstones accurately reflect demand and supply at any given time.

Tanzanites, depending upon how they are oriented during the cutting, can be pure Blue or include the secondary and tertiary colors of purple and red. Some people prefer the pure blue color that almost resembles the Sapphire, others like the violetish blue color, feeling that it heightens the stone's exotic allure. This all is, of course is a matter of personal preference. In pricing, a rich highly saturated color free from gray is the primary consideration. The Blue and Violetish blue colors command similar prices. Some Tanzanite exhibit a shift of color under different lighting; the red color components can appear highlighted under incandescent light, which is rich in red lights wave lengths.

Faceting gems are a part of the enhancing treatment that goes into bringing unformed gems to market accepted standards. If not for heat treatment, violetish blue tanzanite would be limited to the rare shelves of the collectors. While Tanzanite can be violetish blue when unearthed, the overwhelming majority with this hue are produced through a permanent heat treatment creating a chemical reaction that converts the brownish color to blue.  and this permanent process is considered standard within the international gem & jewelry trade.

Tanzanite makes a beautiful ring, but like Emerald or Opal, it requires a little extra care and attention, even though ring design also plays a big part, some designs provide more protection than others. There is a difference between hardness and durability. Tanzanite is hard enough, but is susceptible to thermal shock, meaning it can crack when extreme heat is applied quickly. It is not recommended to drop your Tanzanite ring into the hot water of the ultrasonic machine for cleaning, with the right care, the Tanzanite ring can be passed on for future generations to enjoy.

With its dazzling intensity and complex play of color, Tanzanite boasts a uniquely sensuous appeal Tanzanite's dual color-Brilliant blue with hints of purple- makes it both warm and cool. Bold yet meltingly beautiful, it is a favorite of both men and women.