Jewel of the month: Tanzanite

Do you love sapphires but not their steep price tag? Then tanzanite may be just the gemstone for you!   In fact, the color and brilliance of high quality tanzanite makes it difficult for the untrained eye to tell the two apart. From deep cobalt blue to opaque violet to pastel blue,

tanzanite’s ocean hues are the perfect option for those wanting the sapphire look, but not the high price tag.

One of the rarest gemstones on earth, tanzanite is only found in a tiny area at the foothills of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. With the current demand at an all-time high, tanzanite’s supply is expected to be depleted within the next 25 years. Investors and tanzanite enthusiasts around the globe are therefore scrambling to purchase this brilliant stone before it’s too late. It’s no wonder that tanzanite is considered the gemstone investment opportunity of a generation, as once the earth’s supply has been mined out, tanzanite prices are expected to dramatically rise.

Although discovered over 585 million years ago, tanzanite wasn’t widely used in jewelry until the 1960’s. It wasn’t until Tiffany & Co launched a public education and marketing campaign in 1967 that consumers and jewelers became aware of this rare yet affordable gemstone. The stone quickly rose to become one of the best-selling colored stones on the market and the second most popular blue gem after sapphire. Today, tanzanite is second only to the diamond in several jewelry markets across the globe.

Tanzanite jewelry is hugely popular among A-listers and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Penelope Cruz, Cate Blanchett, Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway, and the Duchess of Cambridge are all Tanzanite lovers. Beyoncé’s magnificent 10-carat cushion cut ring was the perfect choice to celebrate the birth of her daughter, Blue Ivy. Tanzanite is prominently featured in several luxury jewelry collections, including Piaget’s, Bvlgari’s, and Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection. And the most famous tanzanite piece is likely the necklace Kate Winslet wore in the blockbuster movie, Titanic. This gigantic 28-carat heart shaped tanzanite stone dubbed the heart of the ocean was so stunning, sales of the stone quadrupled when the film was released.

So, if you’re in the market for a dazzling blue piece at an approachable price point, our tanzanite collection may be just the ticket! Visit the Carats Fine Jewelry & Watches showroom to discover why Tiffany & Co calls tanzanite the most beautiful stone to be discovered in 2,000 years.