Description
would be beautifully complemented by a sunny yellow 18ct setting
11.43mm x 9.33mm & base to table 5.90mm
Perfect for a Yellow 18ct claw-set pendant or oversize occasional Solitaire Ring – Tanzanite is a 6 on the Mohs Scale of hardness, fluorite (toothpaste compound) is a 1 and Diamonds are a 10, so an occasional ring would be safer.
History:
No gem discovered in East Africa has had more of an impact on the world gemstone market than tanzanite, found for the first time in 1967 and named after the country of its birth by Tiffany & Co in New York, who introduced the gemstone to the world market in 1969. There are several mines within the Merelani range, located in the Simanjiro district, at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Mythology:
it is thought that prior to the 1967 mining discovery, Tanzanite was first observed when some brown Ziosite crystals lying on the dry earth were caught in a bush fire as a lightning storm swept through the grass-covered hills. The Masai herders driving cattle in the area were struck by the beautiful blue coloured the crystals and thus became the first tanzanite collectors. It is also reported that in certain regions, camp fires have produced similar results on Ziosite specimens. Such occurrences is likely to be based on fact as the purple hues of this lustrous orthorhombic stone are created by high temperatures both above and below ground.
