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TANZANITE RING @ Jewel Info 4 U
By: Madhubanti Rudra
Summary: This unique
colour gem looks equally great in
any piece of jewellery, be it an
exquisite ring or large pendant. So
far as rings are concerned, small
stones always look better on them. A
Tanzanite ring can be the ideal
choice for a truly fashionable
person because its unusual blend of
colour renders each and every piece
of jewellery a really exclusive
look.
In the middle of 1967, a Portuguese
fortune hunter named Manuel d'souza
was traveling along the eastern part
of Africa in search of rare quality
ruby and sapphire. Flanked by Maasai
tribesmen, he came near a pace just
below the Mount Kilimanjaro, in
Tanzania, where he happened to
stumble upon a heap of gleaming blue
rocks, which, at first was mistaken
by him as sapphire. Little at that
point of time, could he imagine,
that one day this newly discovered
stone would take the world by storm.
Soon, this unassuming stone was
christened as tanzanite after its
pace of origin and gained immense
popularity among the gem-lovers
across the globe, especially in
America, Europe and Japan.
The fact that, original tanzanite is
a very rare kind of tone, occurring
only in a small place in Tanzania,
known as Merelani Hill, Arusha,
added to its demand and high value.
In the absence of sophisticated
mining techniques and inadequate
financing, production never attains
the level where supply ever
complements the demand
satisfactorily. As a result, the
price of tanzanite always remained
very high in the international
market and never settled to
equilibrium till date. Today
tanzanite in the 1 to 3 Carat size
range and in moderate colour quality
along with visible inclusions is
available for $400 per Carat. Top
quality tanzanites command a price
over $1000 per Carat. So far as
chemical composition of tanzanite is
concerned, it is actually a variety
of Zoisite, which is the member of
Epidote group, a silicate of calcium
and Aluminium. Straight from the
ground, in its primary form, it
displays a brown shade, mixed with a
light orange tinge.
Tanzanite is always given a heat
treatment approximately at 700
degree Celsius temperature, which
enhances its colour. A moderate heat
treatment brings out the colours
ranging from light bluish-violet to
an intense bluish-violet. The most
important price determining factor
in tanzanite is its unique colour
combination. Borrowing the royal
ness of rich blue sapphire and
stealing luster from purple
amethyst, tanzanite creates such a
magic with colour, that earns it a
rare place of distinction in the
world of gemstones. The mot prized
colour in tanzanite is a rich
violet-blue. A pure blue tanzanite
is very rare, as tanzanite is always
mixed with a purple overtone. So
naturally blue tanzanites are more
desirable and sold at a higher
price. Currently it has been noticed
that presence of blue or purple
colour components in tanzanites no
longer dictates the difference in
their pricing. However, with the aid
of skillful cutting, its blue or
violet colour components can be
emphasized. However, tanzanite is
highly tri-chroic, it changes its
colour under different amount of
light.
It displays a lighter shade, mostly
lavender, in smaller sizes. The
larger the gem, more saturate its
colour. Recently, a green variety of
Zoisite has been discovered, which
goes by the name, green tanzanite.
When tanzanite was first discovered,
people got confused because of its
colour. It closely resembled
sapphire. But laboratory tests
revealed that the stone was far too
soft to rival corundum family, to
which belong the sapphires. On Mohs
scale of hardness, tanzanite
measures 6 to 7. It has a perfect
cleavage, but the fracture is uneven
and brittle. It also reacts poorly
to heat and pressure. Tanzanite
stones however have a very clarity
usually with very few inclusions. In
October 2002, the American Gem Trade
Associations agreed to endorse
tanzanite in the family of birth
stones. It has been conferred the
honor of being treated as the
additional birth stone for the month
of December.
According to the contemporary
jewelers' Anniversary Gemstone List,
tanzanite is the anniversary
gemstone for 24th year of the
marriage. Like other blue gems
tanzanite brings a cooling effect
over one's body and mind. When life
becomes chaotic under tremendous
pressure tanzanite is believed to
bring the composure of self.
Enhancing personal inside and
vision, it reaffirms one's
individual will. Gold brings with it
the energy of sun and the stone
represents the power of moon. So if
tanzanite is worn, teamed with gold.
Beautifully blends in it the
energies of the sun and the moon.
Although tanzanite lacks in luster,
it is the unusual colour of this
tone that stole the hearts of
millions all over the world. Whether
worn as a ring or a necklace, as an
earring or a bracelet, it has the
potential of becoming the ultimate
eye catcher. Although wearing
tanzanite jewelleries require
special care and protection, it
always speaks of one's refined taste
and high sense of aesthetics.
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