Discovered in the second half of the 19th century, the tanzanite is cherished for its vivid bluish-violet hue and eye-catching beauty. But that’s not the only reason why this gem is so popular. Did you know? It is only found in Tanzania, East Africa. Majority of the other gems of the world can be mined from different locations around the globe, but not the tanzanite.
This fact makes it extremely special, and of course, rare too. Before we go deeper into this, let’s understand a little more about its history.
Intriguing Backstory
Tanzanite was discovered in the late 1960s (1967 to be exact) in Tanzania, East Africa. A Maasai tribesman found a cluster of sparkling violet-blue crystals in Merelani Hills, near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. The locals thought they had discovered a treasure which was born from a fire caused by a lightning bolt in that area.
They alerted a man named Manuel D’souza who believed that they had found a new source of precious blue sapphires. But later, everyone came to know that those beautiful crystals were something completely different. After much research, this newly discovered gem was found to be a variety of the zoisite family of minerals and was named ‘tanzanite’ to honor its place of origin.
Rare and Brilliant
Upon its discovery, tanzanite was bestowed with various accolades like ‘the gemstone of the century’ and ‘most beautiful blue gem’. It certainly owes all this fame to its captivating hue, its status of being a brand-new discovery, but most importantly for being extremely rare.
Yes, it’s true. To date, tanzanites have been found only in Tanzania in an area of roughly 7×2 km where it was first mined. Some geologists say that the circumstances leading to the formation of this gem, millions of years ago, are so exceptional that finding it anywhere else across the world is nearly impossible.
This fact makes tanzanites almost a thousand times rarer than diamonds. That’s not all, several experts in the gemstone industry also believe that the tanzanite is a quickly depleting gem. In the coming 25 to 30 years or so it will be completely mined out. As a result, tanzanite is also known as the ‘gem of a generation’ since people from future generations will most likely not be able to buy them.
Diamond vs Tanzanite
Diamonds, one of the hardest naturally occurring substances found on earth, are truly incredible. They were formed billions of years ago and are currently mined in large quantities in several locations around the globe.
The combination of durability, brilliance and beauty makes them a must-have on everyone’s list.
When it comes to tanzanites, the important thing to remember is that we’ve known about their existence for only about 50 years now. In this relatively short span of time, this gem has managed to sweep people off their feet with its undeniable beauty. So it’s not a surprise that the tanzanite is considered a close competitor to the world’s top three precious gemstones i.e., ruby, sapphire and emerald. Plus, the tanzanite is likely to be found only for a few more decades, which adds to its desirability.
Conclusion
Both the diamond and tanzanite are wonderful gems. When it comes to rarity, however, the bluish-violet jewel wins the battle, hands down. With its limited mining area, pleochroism (ability to showcase different colors when viewed from different angles), along with high demand and scarce availability certainly makes the tanzanite a gem to watch out for.
