All About Tanzanite

It is impossible to remain indifferent, looking at tanzanite sparkling with all shades of blue and violet. This crystal is bewitching, bewitching and as the ocean lures into the abyss of its charm. Although the stone is not precious, but only semiprecious, it is in great demand in the jewelry market. Even the cinema could not resist his spell. But first things first. First, we will tell you when and where this mineral was discovered, what types of tanzanite are. You will learn about its useful properties and how to distinguish an original from a fake.

Tanzanite was discovered relatively recently - in 1967. Prior to this, only representatives of the Masai tribe knew the stone - the indigenous inhabitants of the East African state of Tanzania, in whose territory it was found. It was the Masai who showed this marvelous mineral to the Portuguese explorer Manuel de Souza. He went on an expedition to Tanzania to look for rubies, and eventually discovered a completely new stone. Although I did not immediately understand this.

At first they thought it was an ordinary glass. Then an assumption arose that the stone is one of the rare varieties of sapphire, to which it is very similar in appearance.

At first, this find was not given much importance. About tanzanite actively talked only after a year. This happened after the stone was seen by the vice president of the famous Tiffany jewelry house, Henry Platt. The beauty of the amazing gem inspired him to create a special collection dedicated to the recently discovered crystal. And it was Platt who gave him the name - tanzanite, consonant with the name of the motherland of the blue mineral of Tanzania.

Officially in scientific circles, tanzanite is called blue zoisite. As scientists have found, this mineral is more than 500 million years old. It arose as a result of a tectonic collision of two ancient continents.

However, for a long time no one knew about it, since tanzanite of a bright blue hue is very rarely found in nature. Most often they find brownish-yellow specimens that, due to their color, merge with the scorched scorching grass, therefore they remained invisible for a long time.

The stones become blue as a result of heating, when the mineral is exposed to temperatures above 500 ° C. But even after the crystal cools, it does not lose its deep sea color. Natural tanzanite of this color is the result of centuries of exposure to the sun, lightning, fires and volcanic processes. It is valued much higher than specimens obtained by heat treatment, and costs, respectively, more expensive.

There are also tanzanites of lilac and dark red shades - also the rarest minerals, but they are not in high consumer demand. And also there are greenish and even pink varieties, and sometimes almost transparent crystals. But still, in the jewelry world, the color of the sea depth is more valued.

Tanzanite has the so-called alexandrite effect, i.e stone changes its color tone depending on the lighting (in daylight, it is mostly blue, and under lamps and spotlights it turns red-violet). And also pleochroism is peculiar to him - The crystal shimmers with various shades and faces depending on the position in space and the viewing angle.

Tanzanite, unlike diamond, is very soft and fragile, like glass. The hardness of the blue mineral on a 10-point Mohs scale is only 6.5 -7. Therefore, not all cutters decide to work with it - the slightest careless movement can lead to the fact that the stone will break into small pieces. But those who undertake the processing of a rare mineral create real masterpieces of jewelry art.

There is only one place in the world where blue zoisite is mined - Merelani plateau, which is located on the slope of the Kilimanjaro volcano in Tanzania. The total area of ​​the deposit is only 5 km. It is divided into 4 zones: A, B, C and D. Tanzanite mining is carried out by companies from England, South Africa and Tanzania, with the latter owning more than 60% of all mined minerals.

No other deposits of this rare stone have been discovered so far, perhaps there are none anywhere else on the planet. Therefore, the cost of tanzanite is very high. And given that in 15 years the only deposit to date will be exhausted, the price and value of the exotic mineral will increase even more over time.

Tanzanite is not only divinely beautiful, but also useful - it helps in solving life's difficulties and health problems.

Valuable magical properties are attributed to this unusual stone.

• He maintains harmony and understanding in family relationships.helps to resolve conflicts between spouses. However, the stone also “punishes” the traitor.In case of betrayal of one of the spouses, he will be harassed by troubles, like retaliation for insincerity and meanness. But if everything is good in marriage, then tanzanite will, on the contrary, protect and strengthen the family union.

• Lonely girls dreaming of meeting their “prince"He helps to fulfill this desire. Attention from the opposite sex to the bearer of the blue stone becomes greater, which means that the chances of finding your soulmate increase significantly.

• If your life has financial problems now, then tanzanite will help solve them. This stone attracts prosperity and prosperity. And he also favors those who seek to reach new career heights. Just don’t just sit and admire the stone for days, hoping that everything will work out by itself. Tanzanite loves active, determined and purposeful people. And that is how he sends luck, favorable circumstances and well-deserved success

• If you can’t find your destiny in life, don’t know what activity to choose, then tanzanite will help you to self-determine and find application for your talents. If you have already decided what you want to do, then the stone will attract opportunities, the right circumstances and people into your life, help to realize your desires. Tanzanite is especially fond of creative personalities, giving inspiration, developing imagination and abilities.

• Tanzanite is considered a mystical stone., therefore, he is often worn by psychics as an amulet. It helps to better develop supernatural magical abilities for those who actually possess them. But for people far from extrasensory perception, it will be useful, as it contributes to the development of intuition. And sometimes it’s worth listening to this feeling even more than to the voice of reason.

Tanzanite is able to alleviate the physical condition of some diseases and even cure them.

1. African crystal may well replace the pill for headache or enhance its effect. An iridescent blue-violet stone relieves excessive stress, facilitates a migraine attack and prevents the appearance of a new one.
2. Contemplation of tanzanite has a beneficial effect on vision. Admiring the blue mineral is useful for those who work at the computer for a long time - this is a wonderful rest for the eyes in every sense. But tanzanite can also increase visual acuity: a person, every day seeing a blue crystal, begins to see better.
3. Bracelet with tanzanite reduces pain in the back and joints. Only you need to wear it constantly.
4. Tanzanite strengthens the body's defenses, helping it fight various colds and viral diseases. It reduces the symptoms of SARS and promotes a speedy recovery.
5. Acne and acne on the face, especially in adolescents, can be a source of serious emotions and psychological complexes. A blue mineral will help cleanse your face from hateful inflammations. To do this, it is recommended to wash every morning with water, in which there was a stone for some time. Wearing a tanzanite pendant will also have an anti-inflammatory effect.
6. If one can still argue with the previous paragraphs, then the effectiveness of tanzanite as a sedative, albeit very expensive, has been proved and confirmed by many people. Contemplation of a stone relaxes the body and mind, calms the nervous system, relieves anxiety, making a person more balanced, allows him to respond to complex stressful situations more adequately, without panic and unnecessary emotions. Tanzanite also helps with insomnia and depression.

First of all, an ocean-colored mineral is suitable for watermarks (Pisces, Crayfish and Aquarius). He is their talisman, protects them and helps in different life situations.

Tanzanite is also recommended to be worn by unrestrained people, those who find it difficult to control their emotions, and who often splash them out on others.These are, as a rule, signs of the fire element: Leo, Sagittarius and especially Aries - the most quick-tempered and temperamental of them. The blue crystal will make its owner more balanced and less influenced by momentary feelings and impulses.

As for the rest of the zodiac constellation, they can also wear jewelry with tanzanite: it enhances the positive qualities and weakens the negative.

Earrings or a pendant with tanzanite help strengthen the female charm, so they are recommended to be worn by girls who want to meet a loved one or just attract the attention of the opposite sex, causing a thrill of male hearts.

Such an incredibly beautiful and exclusive stone is deservedly in high demand, which means that fraudsters are very tempted to fake it, which they do.

An ordinary glass may be hidden under tanzanite. A very thin layer of natural tanzanite is applied on top of it, which can deceive an inexperienced buyer and convince him that in front of him is really a blue zoisite. It is very difficult to identify such a fake, especially when the stone is already inserted into the jewelry.

For tanzanite, sometimes they give out blue sapphire of artificial origin, but this fake is more expensive, so they resort to this method less often.

One can distinguish real tanzanite from its cheap “clones” by several signs.

• If the stone is too unnatural color, too bright and defiant - in front of you, most likely, a fake. The color of this tanzanite is more calm, deep and rich.

• Pleochroism is one of the most important characteristics of tanzanite. This item is faster and easier to check, you just have to turn the jewelry with a stone in your hands. It should sparkle with blue and violet tints, changing color depending on the position and how the light falls.

• In this way, you can check the stone for fake only at home. To do this, dip it in water. If the crystal retains its color, then you have bought real tanzanite. And if during the dive the stone became completely lighter or some of its parts became light, then this indicates the work of scammers.

• If you are offered to buy a stone at a suspiciously low price - this is the first reason to think about its "fake". Faceted natural tanzanite is expensive. Overcome the desire to save money so you don’t become the mean one who ultimately pays twice. The cost of 1 carat of tanzanite varies in the market from 300 to 1000 dollars.

• The stone must be clean and transparent. This means that no extraneous impurities should be present in the faceted crystal. Transparency is achieved by exposure to high temperatures during processing

To reduce the risk of buying fake tanzanite, you need to approach its acquisition very responsibly. It is best to contact well-known jewelry companies that have already established themselves in the market. Or contact an experienced specialist who will check the stone for authenticity.

Almost simultaneously with the appearance of tanzanite on the podium in the famous Tiffany collection, his film career began.

American actress Elizabeth Taylor, the famous Cleopatra, made a significant contribution to the popularization of this stone. She was very fond of wearing jewelry with tanzanite, because this stone, like no other, matched the violet color of her eyes, emphasizing their unusualness and beauty.

But the most famous decoration with tanzanite in the cinema is, of course, the pendant from the Oscar-winning film of James Kemeron "Titanic", which was presented to the heroine Kate Winslett by her fiancé. Yes, yes, the role of the rare blue diamond “heart of the ocean” was played by none other than tanzanite!

The largest untreated tanzanite was discovered in 2005. Its dimensions: 280x80x70 mm. The weight of the stone is almost 17 thousand carats or more than 3 kg. The crystal was named Mawenzi after the second highest peak of Kilimanjaro, at the foot of which he was found.

The most famous faceted tanzanite in the world belongs to Michael Scott - Apple's first CEO. The stone is part of the magnificent Queen Kilimanjaro diadem surrounded by over 900 diamonds. The weight of the blue crystal is 242 carats.

Another large faceted specimen of blue crystal weighing 122.7 carats is in the museum collection of the Smithsonian Institution in the United States.

Since tanzanite is a very fragile stone, it requires maximum care and delicate care. Here are some basic rules for handling it.

• They store tanzanite separately from other jewelry in individual packaging: it can be a velvet bag, but it is better to use a box or box. The stone should not come into contact with other jewelry and hard objects, otherwise they can easily damage it and leave scratches on it.
• Tanzanite is contraindicated in high temperatures and high humidity, so before going to the sauna you need to remove the decoration with tanzanite. Too low temperatures for the crystal are also undesirable.
• The stone must be cleaned with a wet cloth dipped in soapy water. At the same time, soap should also be gentle - it is best to use baby soap, as it is more gentle and natural. Water should be slightly above room temperature, but in no case hot.
• Do not clean tanzanite with harsh chemicals or use hard sponges!

Such a luxurious stone, like tanzanite, should be part of only the evening toilet. It most brilliantly flashes with all its facets precisely under artificial lighting. In this case, do not use too bright makeup, an excess of accessories and small details in the dress is also harmful - one stone will cope with the task of riveting all the attention to its owner. It will look great even against the background of an ordinary black dress, bringing a unique twist to the image.

With him, any woman will look gorgeous! It is best to use a stone in a set: wear, for example, a necklace and earrings or a ring with earrings.

Tanzanite is not suitable for everyday onions, unless you are in the form of a glamorous diva - then the stone will perfectly complement it. But it’s still better to wear during the day, so as not to look too vulgar, use jewelry with small crystals, and it is advisable to choose one product - a ring, bracelet or earrings.

Only diamonds can be worthy neighbors of tanzanite. They emphasize the splendor of the blue crystal, make it even more spectacular and brighter. Despite the high cost and value, diamonds in tandem with tanzanite will play a secondary role, becoming for him only a brilliant and very expensive setting.

However, if you want to wear tanzanite like an amulet, then combination with other stones can enhance certain of its magical properties. So, it is recommended to combine tanzanite with amethyst in one jewelry if you want to achieve success on the love front. Good luck in business and promotion will be promoted by close “friendship” of topaz and tanzanite.But for young girls it is best to combine tanzanite with ruby ​​- this promises success in both areas: both personal and professional.

Even the most colorful description does not convey the dazzling beauty of tanzanite, which easily won the hearts of many people.

On the properties of stone of the new millennium, see below.