Property | Description |
Formula | Ca2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH) |
Hardness | 6,5 — 7 |
Density | 3.35 g/cm³ |
Refractive index | 1,691 — 1,700 |
Kink | Uneven |
Fragility | Fragile |
Cleavage | Perfect |
singonia | Rhombic |
Shine | Glass |
Transparency | Transparent |
Color | Sapphire blue to amethyst purple |
The magical properties of tanzanite
Pendant with tanzanite The magical properties of tanzanite are aimed at family well-being.
Women are recommended to wear pendants with this stone to harmonize relationships with a loved one. Crystals have the ability to protect marital relationships. Jewelry with tanzanite would be a good gift for family anniversaries. In general, when purchasing tanzanite, people count on the following properties:
- The mineral is suitable for beginners and experienced psychics. The stone reveals the gift of clairvoyance and enhances the abilities of seers. For people who are far from extrasensory perception, these properties of mystical tanzanite will teach them to listen to their intuition and choose the right path.
- Magical characteristics create an aura of calm and balance around the owner of the nugget. Quarrels arise less often around a person - all misunderstandings are resolved through peaceful negotiations. The mineral brings comfort to the home, the work team gets rid of gossip and intrigue, and makes the group of friends more united.
- The very fragile stone tanzanite, as if compensating for its natural characteristics, strengthens the family. He forces spouses to remain faithful to each other, sending minor troubles to the traitor. Problems will haunt a person until he returns home. The stone also attracts love to lonely people, you just have to sincerely wish to meet your soulmate.
- Jewelry made from the mineral attracts additional monetary resources to a person. Only wealth will not fall from the sky; the gem does not like lazy people. Only those who make commensurate efforts will receive a generous reward.
- A nugget is suitable for a person who has not yet decided on his occupation. It focuses the owner’s attention on the most striking abilities and helps to choose what will bring profit, allow self-realization and pleasure.
Place of extraction
Natural blue zoisite is mined from a small area of the Merelani plateau. Development is carried out underground, on a narrow strip about 5 kilometers long. The tanzanite crystal has grown on the rock, “hiding” in cracks and crevices.
Development at Merelani is being carried out by companies from the UK, South Africa and Tanzania itself. The latter controls a two-kilometer section, and with it up to 60% of the sales market. In total, the plateau is divided into 4 areas. Tanzanite deposits are designated by letters - A, B, C and D, and differ in management companies and conditions. Site C is considered the most convenient for mining, while site D is considered less attractive, rocky and inaccessible.
Talismans and amulets
Tanzanite ring
The stone was used as talismans and amulets already in ancient times by the Maasai tribes. An uncut stone, a crystal, or a piece of jewelry with a gem can serve as a talisman.
Adding a brooch with a mineral to your look every day will certainly contribute to your career growth. A ring with a gem will help you find true love and create a strong marriage. Earrings with tanzanite will help the owner become more feminine, more attractive in the eyes of the stronger sex, and will give the woman confidence and charm.
Tanzanite enhances the attractiveness and attractiveness of women to members of the opposite sex. Not only the color, but also the shape of the stone matters. Tanzanite will help young girls find their soul mate and prevent them from making a mistake in choosing a life partner.
People seeking to find happiness, prosperity and success in life can safely turn to tanzanite for help. A talisman can be either jewelry (earrings, pendants, rings), or just a pebble with or without a frame.
Who suits the name
Tanzanite stone is suitable for extraordinary, interesting and symbolic names. This connection is due to the unique occurrence of rocks with a mineral and a wide range of properties. We combine the gem with the following female names:
- Ariel.
- Alice.
- Glafira.
- Vasilisa.
- Violet.
- Annetta.
- Rosalia.
- Jasmine.
- Aurora, etc.
Male names:
- Plato.
- Augustine.
- Robert.
- Adam.
- Albert.
- Arnold.
- David, etc.
Medicinal properties of tanzanite
Tanzanite earrings
Tanzanite is endowed with more than just natural beauty. The nugget has remarkable medicinal properties in its arsenal:
- Effect on visual acuity. Contemplating tanzanite will help improve your vision. The mineral is recommended to be used to relieve eye strain during long periods of work at the monitor or any activity that leads to eye fatigue.
- Headache. When contemplating the stone, the nervous system relaxes, which helps overcome migraine attacks.
- Prevention of colds. Traditional healers claim that owners of the mineral are less susceptible to flu or colds than others, since regularly wearing the gem strengthens the human immune system.
- Pain in the spine. Tanzanite will become an assistant for people engaged in sedentary work - the mineral will relieve them of pain in any of the spinal regions.
- Skin diseases. With skin-to-skin contact, the gem relieves the owner of any skin diseases, including teenage rashes and acne.
Carefully!
It should be noted that only natural minerals are endowed with healing powers. The fake will only be a decoration for the owner.
Favorable time to buy
The first lunar day is considered the most favorable for purchasing tanzanite. This day increases the vibrations of the stone and allows it to quickly get along with its new owner.
Before buying, you need to reduce communication with people to a minimum, get rid of bad thoughts, resolve conflicts and pay off debts. Imagine what heights you have achieved with the support of the gem, and mentally or verbally convey to it the description of the picture during the purchase. This will make it much easier to bring what you want to life.
Application and care
Purple tanzanite
African gem is very soft and fragile, so not every jeweler will decide to work with it. It is very difficult to process the mineral, the raw materials are expensive, and in case of defects, no one will compensate for the money spent. However, craftsmen who are able to cope with this difficult task create luxury jewelry with tanzanite, which often costs a fortune.
Except in jewelry, the gem is not used anywhere. It is too rare and beautiful to be an ornamental material or used in industry. Tanzanite is most often used to make rings, bracelets, studs and pendants.
Deep blue tanzanite
It is impossible to find treasured items with tanzanite on market stalls; you shouldn’t even try. Only the best jewelry houses sell this gem. The crystal is most often set in platinum or gold, so the cost of such jewelry is very high.
In order for a rare and expensive stone to serve you as long as possible, you should follow several rules for wearing it.
- Tanzanite does not tolerate temperature fluctuations, so you should not wear it in winter or when going to the sauna.
- It is best to wear jewelry with the stone after you have applied makeup to reduce the chance of harsh chemicals coming into contact with the stone. It also does not tolerate acidic environments.
- The gem is afraid of high humidity, so it is recommended to remove it when going to the bathroom or shower.
- It is advisable to wash tanzanite with a weak solution of baby soap. Abrasive and detergent substances can damage the stone beyond repair. After cleaning, the gem should be carefully wiped with a soft suede cloth.
- Mechanical damage, even minor, can be fatal. It's best not to drop the stone and be careful with hard surfaces. It is also best to store the gem separately from other crystals, wrapped in a soft cloth.
Origin story
It all started in the summer of 1967. The Portuguese Manuel De Souzo went on an expedition to Tanzania to look for precious rubies. The Maasai, one of the largest tribes of indigenous people, helped and accompanied the discoverer.
A few weeks later, tired of long fruitless searches, the expedition discovered deposits of large crimson-violet crystals. This happened in the province of Arusha, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Stone deposits formed in cracks where changes occurred under the influence of rock pressure and high temperatures.
Initially, the find was mistaken for Sapphires, but the mineral turned out to be much softer. A little later, research showed that the find was a variety of Cyosite, a fairly well-known and widespread mineral that was not used in the jewelry industry.
A rare, precious nugget risked remaining unnoticed and unknown. But already in 1968, the stone attracted the attention of Henry Plath, vice president of the American jewelry house Tiffany, who named the gem tanzanite, in honor of the mineral deposit.
This is interesting: The world's largest cut tanzanite, weighing 242 carats, belongs to Michael Scott, the first executive director of Apple. This stone appears in the tiara called “Queen of Kilimanjaro”.
The Smithsonian Research Institution in the United States also holds a cut specimen of tanzanite that weighs 122.7 carats.
Since that time, despite the difficulty of processing, tanzanite has been used to make expensive, exclusive jewelry. One version says that the famous “Heart of the Ocean” pendant from the film “Titanic” used an insert made of tanzanite, which looked brighter and more attractive than the bluest sapphire.
How to wear jewelry correctly
Gold ring with tanzanite
Jewelry with tanzanite is worn extremely rarely and is worn very carefully. Products with minerals are always luxurious, so the outfit, as well as the event, must be appropriate.
Tanzanite is a stone suitable for special occasions. Rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces - for every taste and income. Large stones in jewelry are more suitable for evening dresses and going out, for special occasions. A stone always looks elegant in sets - a ring and earrings, earrings and a pendant. Tanzanite “plays” with shades in artificial light.
An important aspect is the selection of shoes and other accessories. Tanzanite does not like unnecessary proximity, since any flashy item or decoration will overshadow the luxury of the gem. In shoes, it is better to give preference to high heels.
For business-style clothing, jewelry is chosen to be discreet with small stones. For young girls, a ring with a small diamond-cut stone is preferable as an engagement gift.
The mineral will adorn a woman of any appearance, regardless of hair or eye color. However, for owners of gray and blue eyes, tanzanite is more suitable than others.
When choosing makeup, you should also adhere to minimalism. Light, everyday make-up is most appropriate. If you are going to a party, smoky ice is a good solution. It is better to put off bright lipstick and replace it with lip gloss.
Varieties
There are no actual varieties of tanzanite. They differ in intensity and shades of color. The most expensive gems are deep blue, not too light and not too dark. Tanzanites with purple hues are also prized.
Most often, when found, the stone does not represent anything remarkable, and its color is brownish-brown. But if you heat the stone to 400-650°C, a blue or purple color appears. True, some of the stones become discolored.
Interesting: The largest uncut tanzanite weighs 17,000 carats. Even experts did not dare to name its cost. The gem was considered priceless.
Compatibility with other minerals
Tanzanite and opal ring
This beautiful, vibrant gem is self-sufficient and does not need support. Other stones often spoil it and distract attention from the main thing. Only diamonds can always successfully emphasize the appearance and enhance the positive meaning of tanzanite for a person.
It is permissible to combine the mineral with citrine and amethyst for people who hope to attract love with the help of their magical powers. Paired with topaz, tanzanite will give the owner an inexhaustible supply of strength for career exploits. Ruby and purple varieties of rare gems will become faithful companions for young girls, helping them achieve success in work and family life.
Note
Tanzanite is a fragile creation of nature. Only one place on Earth can boast of this talent. According to scientists, the supply of the mineral will be exhausted. The most optimistic forecasts give hope for production for a maximum of another 20 years. And then this stone will become priceless.
Nature has endowed the nugget with unusual properties, as well as friendliness towards humans. Only the thrift of future generations will help preserve this miracle of nature for many centuries.
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How to distinguish natural stone from fake
Tanzanite
Although no one has yet succeeded in making artificial tanzanite with the properties of a natural stone, however, there are already plenty of synthetic fakes. Therefore, it is worth knowing a few tips that will help you avoid falling for scammers.
There are synthetic fakes on the market that differ from the original, which can be identified by 5 criteria:
- Pleochroism . Turn the stone in your hands, examine it from different points, under natural and artificial light. Depending on the viewing angle and lighting, it should change shade. In addition, forsterite fakes glow under ultraviolet light, which is not typical for the original.
- Color . A mineral of natural origin looks natural. Too bright, unnatural shades should alert you.
- Change when immersed in liquid . Real tanzanite will lighten slightly around the edges underwater. Artificial specimens do not change color.
- Price . Natural stone cannot be cheap. It is unlikely that you are the lucky one who managed to find tanzanite at a low price. Most likely they are trying to sell you ordinary glass.
- Purity . Due to annealing, the mineral loses its inclusions and natural marks. Mostly pure transparent crystals are used in jewelry.
Carefully!
Fraudsters know that the effect of pleochroism cannot be imitated, and sometimes coat the glass with a thin layer of tanzanite. Formally, the stone has all the signs of a natural one; it is impossible to recognize a fake with the naked eye.
Which color is more valuable?
The cost of tanzanite depends on the color of the stone, but it's not all about beauty. The color of the crystals is largely determined by the place where they are found. Greenish, brownish-yellow and purple, always taken from the ground or a layer of volcanic ash, they are cheaper - from 200 dollars per carat.
The most prized are lilac, violet sapphire and blue stones with deep colors. The brighter it is, the higher the cost of the sample. It starts at $400 per carat. Tanzanites acquire this color under the influence of high temperatures exceeding 500 ℃ or after the mineral has been exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. Blue specimens were either ejected from the crater of a volcano or are found deep underground. Tanzanites with a cat's eye effect are considered even rarer. As a result of the optical phenomenon, a pattern resembling the squinted eye of a cat is visible on the surface. To enhance the effect, such stones are cut into cabochons.
Often, jewelers use heat to change the color of yellowish or green crystals to a rich blue.
Tanzanite and zodiac signs
Astrologers continue to argue about which zodiac signs the mineral is suitable for. Some are inclined to believe that the stone suits the elements of Fire, others talk about the elements of Water and Air. The only conclusion is that the gem will not harm any of the zodiac signs. Tanzanite can strengthen or weaken the character traits of a certain person.
Most astrologers believe that the stone is protected by the planet Saturn. This makes it a suitable talisman for Aquarius, Pisces, Cancer and Capricorn. The mineral has ideal compatibility with Aries - the gem imparts calmness, balance and wisdom to the naturally hot-tempered representatives of this sign.
Zodiac sign | Compatibility “+++” - the stone fits perfectly, “+” - can be worn, “-” - strictly contraindicated |
Aries | +++ |
Taurus | + |
Twins | + |
Cancer | ++ |
a lion | + |
Virgo | + |
Scales | + |
Scorpion | + |
Sagittarius | + |
Capricorn | ++ |
Aquarius | ++ |
Fish | ++ |
Place of Birth
One of the reasons for the high cost of the stone is its rarity and inaccessibility. From the moment of discovery until today, one single deposit is known, in fact, the birthplace of the mineral is Tanzania, Arusha province, which is located southwest of Mount Kilimanjaro, at a distance of 60 km.
The field, called Merelani, has been divided into four blocks since 1990. Each block is developed by different mining companies. Since 2004, 60% of all mineral reserves have been mined in one of four blocks by the Tanzanian company Tanzanite One Group.