Tanzanite
Tanzanite is one of the newest of the gemstones. As such it hasn't yet had the chance to acquire a large body of symbolic associations and meanings.Genuine natural tanzanite remains rare and the best stones on sale command an appropriately high price. Today tanzanite sales in the US are estimated to have an annual value of some $500 million.
What Is Tanzanite?
Natural tanzanite is a rare blue to purple form of zoisite that was discovered in 1967 by a gold prospector in Tanzania. There's an apocryphal story that he found the new gem when lightning hit an outcrop of rock and heated it up to reveal its colour.Tanzanite was made popular by Tiffany who coined the name as a more marketing friendly word than stone's the official designation of "blue zoisite"
Colour
The hue and level of saturation are very important factors in valuing tanzanite with highest quality stones graded AAA for a deep, saturated tone. The price of tanzanite is very dependent on the colour and grade AAA stones usually command a premium.Almost all of the gem quality tanzanite you can buy on the market has been professionally heat treated to enhance its colour. Having been heat treated doesn't normally affect the value of the stone since the process is almost universal. When buying jewelry you're highly unlikely to come across tanzanite that hasn't been heat treated.
Popular uses for tanzanite include rings (especially when set in white gold), pendants and stud earrings. It's one of the official birthstones of December and often forms a gift on the birth of a child, especially the first.