Tanzanite Meaning and Properties: The Regal Gemstone of Tanzania

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OVERVIEW

The striking blue colors of this gemstone immediately caught the eye of the fine jewelry company Tiffany & Co., which decided to call it "Tanzanite" as they thought that the word resonated well with customer interest.

The company pushed the gemstone into the spotlight by launching a campaign. The success of the campaign earned Tanzanite its prestigious title, "Gem of the 20th Century," making it one of the most sought-after gems overnight. In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association named Tanzanite the gemstone of December.

Along with an extraordinary discovery by a Masai tribesman in 1967, what makes Tanzanite stand out from the rest of precious gemstones is its remarkable pleochroism and trichroism nature. The gemstone has the ability to display an absolutely wonderful play of colors when observed from different angles, depending on where the light hits.

However, that is just one of many Tanzanite properties that we have discussed so far. Don’t worry! We are going to discuss the rest of the Tanzanite metaphysical properties in the sections ahead.

But before we get there, it's important to find out why we should understand the properties of a gemstone like a tanzanite.

Tanzanite Stone Meaning:

Tanzanite gets its name from the region where it was discovered, in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania. Tiffany & Co. introduced the gem to the market as an extremely rare variety of zoisite. Tiffany’s Vice President told a Times reporter that "Tanzanite is the first transparent deep blue gemstone to be discovered in more than 2,000 years." Along the way, the gemstone became known as the 24th wedding anniversary gift, with numerous applications in the astrology and therapeutic worlds, which is also one of Tanzanite metaphysical properties.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LEARN ABOUT TANZANITE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Learning about tanzanite meaning and healing properties is crucial to understand the unique characteristics that set this coveted gem apart from the other classes of gemstones. For example, there are many reasons why Tanzanite is ultimately placed among the most precious gemstones: its atomic structure, the mineral group that it belongs to, its crystal habit, its crystal system, its durability facts, its cut, its specific gravity, its hardness, its cleavage, its stability streak, its magnetism, etc. Here is a quick brief on the properties of Tanzanite.

Tanzanite Crystal Properties Summary

Largest ever Tanzanite crystals, 9.27 kg and 5.1 kg, found by Saniniu Laizer in Tanzania. Laizer earned a payout of US$3.3 million by the Tanzanian government

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TANZANITE Stone PROPERTIES

Needless to say, Tanzanite Stone, first discovered in 1967 and named by Tiffany & Co., is a globally popular gemstone. It is known as the birthstone of December and is mostly recommended for Gemini, Libra, and Sagittarius zodiac signs to invite truth, dignity, and wisdom in life.

Although tanzanite’s age of glory is mostly credited to its physical appearance, its historical relevance cannot be neglected. Besides its strong pleochroism and trichroism orientation, tanzanite meaning has welcomed profound interest from astronomers, gem cutters, painters, jewelry artists, astrologers, and horoscope readers worldwide.

Extensive research into the relevance of tanzanite meaning and uses has led to the conclusion that the gemstone (also known as "the one born from lightning") may have had origins deeply rooted in ancient civilizations. Let’s decode them one by one:

TANZANITE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

1. Color: One of the most unique Tanzanite properties is its pleochroism and trichroism. In its raw form, tanzanite displays blue, burgundy, and mostly brown tones. But its most prized color, i.e., blue, is due to the presence of trace elements of vanadium, the fifth most abundant transition metal on earth. When vanadium-enriched zoisite is heated to up to 600 degrees celsius for 30 minutes, the color saturation in the crystal gets intense, enhancing the top-quality violet-blue colors similar to blue sapphire. When seen from different directions, it shows different shades-sometimes pleochroic, sometimes dichroic, and sometimes trichroic.
2. Hardness: Tanzanite has a rating of 6.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making it one of the "softer" gemstones. This means that the gem is more vulnerable to being scratched during normal wear. This problem can be solved by designing jewelry that can endure impact and abrasion.
3. Clarity: Tanzanite is a high-clarity gemstone with almost no visible inclusions. These inclusions are usually so minute that they need to be examined under the microscope.
4. Cleavage: Just like diamonds, the tanzanite gemstone shows perfect cleavage, meaning that the gemstone will break smoothly upon intentional hitting without showing any fractures.
5. Origin:Tanzanite is exclusively found in Tanzania. No other traces of the gemstone in any other country have ever been recorded.
6. Grading: Tanzanite is a Type I-grade gemstone. Gemstones categorized as Type I are found extremely clean in nature and usually have no eye-visible inclusions.
7. Trichroism: When raw tanzanite (usually brownish) is heated, it may refract two shades or three shades. Trichorism occurs when tanzanite exhibits three colors—blue, brown, and violet—at the same time when heated.
8. Pleochroism: A gemstone with pleochroism will appear to have several hues depending on the angle at which the light strikes it. When viewed from one direction, Tanzanite is typically blue, but when viewed from another, it can range from violet to red.

HERE ARE SOME GRADING SYSTEMS POPULAR IN THE GEMSTONE WORLD AND WHAT THEY MEAN:

• A specimen of A graded Tanzanite
• A specimen of AA graded Tanzanite
• A specimen of AAA graded Tanzanite

• Deluxe (In-house)
• A specimen of AA+ graded Tanzanite
• A specimen of AAA+ graded Tanzanite

The above image is a collection of different graded tanzanite gemstones available at GemPundit

1. A:It is the lowest grade. Lowest Quality having very low luster with heavily blurred appearance.
2. AA:Second grade in quality aspect with medium luster.
3. AAA:Excellent quality of tanzanites with sharp luster. Almost perfect shape with no blurring issues.
4. AA+:Medium Quality tanzanite with medium to sharp luster.
5. AAA+:Highest quality Tanzanite.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TANZANITE PROPERTIES

Let's check out some lesser-known facts about Tanzanite gemstone properties that will help you evaluate the exact value and durability of this wondrous gem.

1. Tanzanite was discovered by an Indian tailor named Manuel De Souza, who traveled to Tanzania in search of gemstones. It is believed that while walking through the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, he spotted the glistening stone, which was later categorized as the zoisite mineral variety.
2. Tanzanite naturally has a reddish-brown tone to it. In order to give it its vibrant blue color, traces of the vanadium mineral present in the zoisite are heated to up 600˚C. The heating process is continued for 30 minutes to get the popular blue hue associated with Tanzanite.
3. Tanzanite has only been found in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. Samples of the gemstones from any other region have not been found, even after regulated mining by the government spanning over 800 meters of the hills.
4. The largest ever Tanzanite specimens were discovered by Saniniu Laizer in June 2020.
5. One of the most interesting tanzania tanzanite properties is that the gem is considered to be 1000x rarer than diamonds. Yes! You heard it right. 1000 times rare.
6. Tanzanite was made the December birthstone in 2002 by the AGTA (American Gem Trade Association).

INCLUSIONS IN TANZANITE GEMSTONE

An image displaying inclusions in Tanzanite

Image credit- Accredited gemologists

• Solid Inclusions:Notable solid inclusions observed in Tanzanite are sphene, calcite, gypsum, quartz, graphite, rutile, tremolite-actinolite, xenotime, and diopside.
• Liquid Inclusions:The Geological Society of Finland has well-documented the fluid inclusions in Tanzanite. Identifying the foreign matter trapped inside Zoisite is difficult without advanced testing methods.
• Other Inclusions:More prominent inclusions found in Tanzanites include anatase, crystals, dolomite, and opaque molybdenite.

TANZANITE AS JEWELRY

• Pear-Shaped Sterling Silver Tanzanite Earring
• Pear-Shaped White Gold Tanzanite Pendant
• Heart-Shaped Tanzanite Rose Gold Ring

Image credit- Shutterstock

Tanzanite may not be as hard as a blue sapphire or its other look-alikes, but its availability as a remarkable jewelry option adds 5 stars to tanzanite crystal properties. Gem retailers like GemPundit have to be astute when creating Tanzanite jewelry like tanzanite rings, tanzanite pendants, or tanzanite bracelets.

WHY CHOOSE GEMPUNDIT?

GemPundit is a leading provider of 100% natural and original loose gemstones and jewelry. We always advise our customers to purchase gemstones from trusted sources and consult a professional gemstone lab to determine the authenticity of the gemstones. The certificates issued by these labs ensure the authenticity of these gemstones, which further implies that you pay the actual price for them.

GemPundit’s expert astrologers recommend gemstones that suit your needs based on your birth details and zodiac sign. To meet our customers' needs and provide the best service possible, our expert gem consultants provide 24x7 customer support. For quick and accurate astrological gem recommendations, you can also get assistance through our Free Gem Recommendation Tool. Or book our Astro Consultation Service now!

Also Read: Tanzanite Stone Benefits, Sapphire vs Tanzanite