The Surprising Tanzanite Necklace – 6 Facts

by : Ruxandra 4 years ago 11948 views

If you are coveting a tanzanite necklace, you are not the only one. In fact, this beautiful gem has become more and more popular, despite its scarcity. However, tanzanite is not only stunning and rare but also fascinating. Read on to discover how to buy necklaces and why a tanzanite necklace is a perfect choice.

Fact 1 – Tanzanite is a new gem

In the world of gemstones, where there are gems discovered thousands of years ago, tanzanite is very young. This isn’t to say that the gem itself formed a couple of years ago. No, this is about when people discovered it. Less than 80 years ago, a Masai tribesman in Tanzania discovered a cluster of violet-blue crystals in the hills of Merelani. Ali Juuyawatu, this was his name, had never seen a similar gem. As such, he instantly knew that his discovery was an important one. He got in touch with a local fortune hunter called Manuel d’Souza who registered for mining claims in the hope of finding sapphire. Instead, he found the world’s newest gem – tanzanite.

Quickly, tanzanite became really popular, sometimes surpassing the precious stones in popularity. Nobody knew exactly what that gorgeous stone was, but everybody wanted it. More and more women started to wear the tanzanite necklace and match it with tanzanite earrings and rings.

Later, it was established that tanzanite was formed from the mineral zoisite and that it came in colors ranging from violet-blue to deep bluish purple. As far as the hardness is concerned, tanzanite gets between 6 and 7 on the Mohs scale, which means that it is a relatively soft gemstone.

Fact 2 – Your tanzanite necklace comes only from Tanzania

You may have picked on this one already. The name of this extraordinary gem comes from the country where it was discovered. However, the gem in your tanzanite necklace can come only from Tanzania as it is the only place on Earth where this stone is found. Other tanzanite deposits may exist, but, if they do, we have yet to discover them. Also, you cannot find tanzanite anywhere in Tanzania. This stunning gem exists only in the hills of Merelani in northern Tanzania.

Fact 3 – People in Tanzania believe this gem was created by God

Even though your tanzanite necklace features a newly discovered gem, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t legends about it. People in Tanzania have their own story about how tanzanite appeared. According to that story, God used lightning strikes to set the Merelani hills alight. When the fire ended and the Earth cooled down, all the rocks underneath the hills turned blue. Whether you believe that the gem in your tanzanite necklace is a divine act or not, the legend remains a charming one that speaks about the rarity of this fabulous stone.

Fact 4 – Tanzanite is one in a million

Remember that old song by Swedish singer Bosson? That may not be about your tanzanite necklace, but it perfectly applies to this spectacular gem. As it turns out, geologists have determined that there are one in a million chances of tanzanite existing in another place on Earth. This is because the chemical composition of the Earth, the geographical and climacteric conditions on the hills of Merelani are necessary to create this gem and if tanzanite were to exist in any other place, that place would need to perfectly mimic these conditions.

Fact 5 – Your tanzanite necklace has a trichroic gem

This means that tanzanite radiates three different colors in its rough form. It has three crystallographic axes and each of them radiates a different color – blue, violet and red. This is why, when polished, tanzanite ranges from vibrant blue and deep royal to electric violet and indigo. Your tanzanite necklace may not feature three different colors, but it does have a unique color resulted from the combination of the three mentioned above.

Fact 6 – The “Heart of the Ocean” is a tanzanite necklace

Remember that breath-taking necklace from Titanic? Even though the “Heart of the Ocean” was supposedly a blue diamond, the actual gem they used in the movie was tanzanite. Wearing a tanzanite necklace will always remind you of the Titanic and its surreal “Heart of the Ocean”. Course, as opposed to Rose, you may want to keep your tanzanite necklace away from water, though.

Bonus fact – Tanzanite is the birthstone for December

You really have to get a tanzanite necklace if you are born in December. Wearing your birthstone is a very personal way of relating to jewelry. And, of course, a tanzanite necklace makes for a wonderful birthday gift for somebody born in December.

As you can see, you have all the reasons to get a tanzanite necklace. If you, like us, have fallen in love with the tanzanite necklace featured in this article, go ahead and pay us a visit to Ana Luisa online jewelry shop. Check out our unique birthstone necklaces collection and choose the one that represents you.

If you want to find out more interesting information about jewelry, all you have to do is use the search box on this blog. We have been constantly publishing content for almost two years now and we have a large library containing information about gemstones, precious metals, care guides as well as jewelry fashion inspiration. Become a jewelry expert with Ana Luisa.

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Ruxandra

Ruxandra is a fashion blogger who teaches fashion stumped twenty to thirty somethings how to shop their jewelry boxes for polished new ensembles. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Nylon, and Refinery29.