Is Tanzanite a Precious Stone? Know Here

Since the 1800s, the gemstones have been classified into two Categories: Precious and Semi-precious. The classification was based on their value during then. However, there is no clear scientific backing for this concept as the Value parameters aren't the main criteria on which specialists rely in order to evaluate a stone nowadays. Till date, only Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires have been declared as precious stones, while all other jewels including pearls and Tanzanite are classified as Semi-precious stones. However, it doesn’t affect the value and beauty of these mesmerizing gemstones. Today, few semi precious gemstones are worth much more than a precious stone. Known for its energetic blue-violet tone, tanzanite owes its place among the most loved gemstones thanks to the modern marketing techniques that catapulted the stone to fame.

Talking about durability, Tanzanite is one of the most delicate gemstones with a hardness of less than 7 on Mohs scale, which means that it needs to be treated with utmost care. Despite this, there are several reasons to own this magnificent gemstone. Notwithstanding its striking blue tone, tanzanite highlights another particular color property - pleochroism. Characterized as the ability to show various tones depending on which direction the crystal is viewed, pleochroism demonstrates a helpful characteristic for recognizing this exquisite African gem.

Here are the reasons that make Tanzanite valuable and precious:

● Rarity:

The rarity of Tanzanite is considered as the main factor behind its demand and value. Mined only at one location on earth, Tanzanite is one of the most demanded gemstones today. Natural and pure Tanzanite is worth more than other precious stones such as diamond and sapphire. The beauty and the magnificence of Tanzanite mesmerize the buyer. Apart from this, the scarcity of this gemstone led to its popularity among investors and gem collectors. Tanzania is the only place on earth, where Tanzanite crystals are mined. According to geologists, this mesmerizing gemstone is expected to be depleted in the next 25 years.

● Rich Color:

Color has a major role in determining the price of natural gemstone. The most amazing feature of Tanzanite is its rich color, which ranges from deep blue and bluish-violet to vibrant violet with tinges of purple and even paler shades of violet. The color of top quality tanzanite can equal that of sapphires and it can be hard to differentiate them with naked eyes. Tanzanite is a pleochroic gemstone, implying that it can show various tones from blue to violet when seen at various directions.

A perfect and pure tanzanite stone ought to be dark blue/dim violet. Stones that have a light tone are viewed as inferior quality. You should remember that the shade of all tanzanite stone is an aftereffect of heat treatment. Color stability in tanzanite is great as heat-treated stones hold their color and are probably not going to fade under the ordinary light exposure and in the temperature range of the human environment.

● Natural:

The most important feature of Tanzanite is that it is made from a variety of the natural mineral zoisite. It has not been synthesized like other valuable stones such as sapphires. This clearly means that tanzanite has not yet been effectively made in a lab. All tanzanite gemstones available in the market are natural, which makes it different from them. Owning a natural Tanzanite instead of having a lab made synthesized Sapphire, can be a valuable option for you.

● Clarity:

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has classified Tanzanite as Type I gemstone, which simply means that it is eye-clean with no visible inclusions. The flaws that are visible to naked eyes can decrease the value of Tanzanite. Most of the Tanzanite jewelry available in the market has flaws that can be seen only magnification. Other inclusions such as fractures can lower its value.

How much is Tanzanite Worth?

Because of the rarity and beauty of tanzanite stones, it's worth is much higher than that of other precious and semi-precious gemstones. On the other hand, Tanzanite is a perfect investment option because of its scarcity, subsequently increasing its rarity and making it considerably more important. The complete worth of a tanzanite gemstone is controlled by various elements, one of the greatest being the deepness of its color. On the hand, if a tanzanite gemstone has green hints to it, it's probably going to be less significant. Notwithstanding, for a rich blue stone, tanzanite's worth is roughly $300 to $425 per carat. For a two-carat stone, costs can reach up to somewhere in the range of $450 and $650 per carat. For bigger stones of three carats, prices can reach in the range of $650 and $750 each.

Meanwhile, the cost of top quality material has begun to increase again as the Tanzanian government has started taking steps to stop smuggling out of the mining region and the country. The Tanzanian military has constructed a wall around the mining region. Earlier, a large part of the rough stones was exported into adjoining Kenya (to keep away from tax collection) and traded generally to India for cutting. With disturbance of ordinary channels, we expect the cost of tanzanite to keep on rising in the years to come.

Author’s Views:

Being selective in choosing between precious and semi-precious is obvious. But that doesn’t mean that semi-precious stones are less valuable. When buying a gemstone, we wouldn't recommend you getting too obsessed whether the stone is valuable or semi valuable. All gemstones are valuable, as they give importance and worth to you in a piece of jewelry, they are rare! Keep in mind that tones are subjective and a piece of jewelry is emotional.

Tanzanite is a stone which will progressively acquire value over the long run. With Tanzanite mines expected to irreversibly run out in the upcoming years, the scarcity of the stone will just make it more valuable. With its scarcity factor, Tanzanite is soon likely to be included in the list of precious gemstones. So, it’s your chance to buy this precious stone.