Tanzanite: A Birthstone for December

People born in December are lucky enough to have three birthstones to choose from: Turquoise, Tanzanite and Zircon. We explored the Turquoise gemstone and its fascinating history in another blog post which is still available to read on our website.

This time, we thought we’d take a closer look at Tanzanite…

With its gorgeous, vivid blue tones, Tanzanite is the perfect birthstone for the wintry month of December. The colour is quite unlike other blue gemstones, as it features hints of purple which can often give the stone an indigo appearance.

The Origins of Tanzanite

As its name might suggest, Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania – in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro to be precise. Compared with other gemstones, its history is rather short as it was only discovered in within the last 50 years. In 1967, a Maasai tribesman was on a hunt for rubies at Kilimanjaro when he found a brilliant blue stone instead. This newly discovered gemstone was first named, “Blue Zoisite” by scientists, but was renamed “Tanzanite” by Tiffany & Co in the following year.

Tanzanite was an overnight success, and within 30 years it had become the most popular gemstone besides sapphire. It became an official birthstone for December in 2002, making it the first additional birthstone to be introduced in 80 years.

The Characteristics of Tanzanite

• Tanzanite is known as a trichroic gemstone, which means it displays three distinct colours (purple, blue and brown) in its raw form. Once the stone has been heated and polished, the brown colour is worn away.
• The depth of colour in Tanzanite can vary from stone to stone, ranging from deep indigo to pale blue or lilac. Like most other coloured gemstones, the value of Tanzanite depends on the intensity of colour.
• The most intense coloured Tanzanite stones, described by miners as AAA, are in the top 1% of all stones produced.

Tanzanite Jewellery

As a birthstone of December, Tanzanite jewellery would make a thoughtful gift for someone with a December birthday. Equally, this gemstone could be given at Christmas or for a wedding anniversary in December.

If you’re looking for a meaningful gift this December, take a look at the stunning Tanzanite pieces we have in stock at Cuttings Jewellers…

Tanzanite Pendant

This pendant is a great example of how striking this gemstone can look in a piece of jewellery. A captivating 1.58ct Tanzanite is surrounded by diamonds with a total of 0.46ct, set in 18ct white gold on an elegant white gold chain.

Tanzanite Earrings

Despite the Tanzanite stones being smaller in these earrings than in the pendant above, they are just as intense in colour and would really stand out when worn. With a combined weight of 1.08ct, they are set in 18ct white gold surrounded by a row of brilliant cut diamonds. 

If you’d like more information about these pieces or have any more questions about December’s birthstone, our team at Cuttings would be happy to help you.