Cubic Zirconia, Synthetic Spinel, Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG), and Glass. These imitations have also been widely used as counterfeit Tanzanite and can usually be easily distinguished as they are all singly refractive while Tanzanite is doubly refractive.
To date, synthetic tanzanites are unknown. However, many simulants (imitations) do exist.
Unheated Tanzanite is brown in color and doesn't get it's blue and purple colors until it is heat treated. Buyers often confuse Tanzanite with Sapphire or Amethyst due to the color.
How can you tell its a high- quality tanzanite? Tanzanite's value can be a bright, intense blue. However, in exceptional tanzanites, the colour is an intense violetish blue with red flashes of pleochroic colour coming from within the stone.
It is noteworthy that Tanzanites in grades SI and higher have impurities that are visible to the naked eye and are sold at comparatively lower prices.
Carat Weight - Tanzanite Prices Per Carat (Updated July 2023) Due to the worldwide pandemic a couple years ago, this caused reduced travel, prices for Tanzanite are still down about 20-30%.
Since tanzanite is only available in a small part of the world and is mined almost exclusively in Tanzania, it's considered an investment stone.
The deeper the colour, the more valuable the gemstone, and has been established that consumers naturally gravitate towards gemstones of deeper colours. Tanzanite gemstones of intense colour are more valuable because they occur much more rarely in nature.
In general, the more saturated the color of tanzanite is, the more valuable it becomes, as the demand for the deep royal blues is high. Too much saturation, however, and tanzanite can become too dark, especially in a larger gem.
Tanzanite Color, Characteristics & Value
Ranging in color from blue to violet, tanzanite is a pleochroic crystal, meaning it changes depending on the light and the direction from which it is viewed. In its original form, dark blue, brown-yellow, and red-purple can be seen in the same stone.
The first step is to check for any inclusion on the stone with your bare eyes. If you're unable to see any inclusions with your bare eyes, then use a magnifying glass of at least 10X magnification to find out if the gemstone contains any inclusions. If you found any, then they are real gemstones.
Tanzanite is a relatively “soft” gemstone in comparison to say Diamond, the hardest, Sapphire or Ruby and measures 6 to 7 on the Mohs Scale. What this means is that Tanzanite can scratch over time, especially if worn on a daily basis or if worn when performing physical activity.
They do not have the brilliance and sparkle, the clarity and variety of color shades that diamonds have. Of course, this does not make tanzanites unattractive or uninteresting. These are still very beautiful stones in just a crazy saturated blue color.
The dichroscope can still be of use to separate tanzanite from glass imitations as glass will show only one color and tanzanite will as a heated gem still show two colors, the blue and the violet.
Having said that, tanzanites with a dominant blue color are considered to be the most valuable of the lot. This is primarily because the blue variety is quite rare and is, therefore, more likely to yield a higher return (from the investment point of view).
Geologists have estimated that the Tanzanite mines are expected to run out in the next two decades. This makes Tanzanite about a thousand times rarer than diamond. Due to this, Tanzanite has also often been referred to as 'the gem of a generation' as now is the only time to buy first-hand Tanzanite.
However, when magnified to about 10 times their initial size, most Tanzanites will show some inclusions. Inclusions are tiny scratches or imperfections often found on the surface of some gems. If you examine your gem under a 10x magnifying glass and can find no noticeable inclusions, then your stone is probably a fake.
Trilliant. The 'Trilliant Cut' is a triangular-shaped cut with slightly rounded edges. Its facets may vary from 31 to 43, giving it its famous brilliance and emphasizing the rich blue color of the Tanzanite. Its symmetrical shape and angles make the 'Trilliant Cut' a perfect choice for sophisticated jewelry.
Already increasing in value every year, tanzanite has always appreciated as time goes by.
Tanzanite is a recipient of various titles like, “the most beautiful blue gem” and “the most important gem discovery in 2000 years.” It's therefore no surprise that this beaming bluish-violet gem is highly sought-after. However, due to traditional classification, tanzanite still falls under the semi-precious category.
Exposure to intense light (natural or artificial) for an extended period of time can cause the tanzanite to eventually lose its color. Additionally, it can get scratched by harder stones.
A grade of 1 would be give to a stone that's color tone is extremely light, and conversely an 8 would be given to a stone that's color tone is extremely dark. The optimal tone for a Tanzanite is a 6.
For some wearers, tanzanite may cause lethargy, which makes sense considering all the life-changing revelations you may experience. A side effect of the healing process is that tanzanite can bring up repressed feelings, emotions, and memories that the wearer might not be ready for.
Due to this unique singular event and the recent active foraging in the region, Tanzanite mines are expected to run out in the next 10 to 20 years. As our generation is the last with the opportunity to acquire first-hand Tanzanite, Tiffany & Co. has granted it the name 'The Gem of a Generation'.
On this scale, the tanzanite has a rating of 6 to 7, which means that while it isn't extremely weak, it can get damaged if hit hard enough. In addition to this, tanzanite also displays the perfect cleavage, which means that it can break if subjected to a hard blow.