Everything about Tanzanite: December's Birthstone

We can’t believe it’s already December, which means it’s Tanzanite season! This blue-violet gemstone is December’s newest official birthstone. It was added to the American Gem Trade Association’s birthstone list in 2002, alongside the month’s original birthstones, Turquoise and Zircon.

We love a lot of gemstones here at Amáli, but Tanzanite is one of our particular favorites because of its range of blue shades, from deep navy blue to vibrant indigo.

A variety of the mineral zoisite, Tanzanite appears in a range of hues. This bewitching gemstone was discovered in 1967 and is mined in one place on Earth: a 4 km strip of land in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania, near Mount Kilimanjaro.

Gemologists believe that the conditions that created this cache of Tanzanite approximately 585 million years ago were very unusual, which means that there probably isn’t any more Tanzanite to be found. Because of its limited supply, Tanzanite is considered to be at least 1,000 times rarer than Diamonds.

Tanzanite gemstones demonstrate pleochroism, which means that they show different colors when viewed in different crystal directions. According to GIA, Tanzanite’s pleochroic colors are red-violet, deep blue, and yellow-green. Gem cutters usually cut Tanzanite in a way that maximizes its blue and violet beauty, but you can still try tilting a Tanzanite to different angles to see if you can bring out its pleochroic colors.

According to gem lore, Tanzanite is a stone of transformation, healing, and creativity. It has the power to change negative energies into positive ones. Those who wear it become attuned to their true calling, able to recognize their strengths and embrace their destiny. It is also believed to have healing properties when worn next to the skin.

If that weren’t enough, Tanzanite is also gorgeous! Its lush hue calls to mind secluded forest lakes and calm oceans. We work with Tanzanite in a number of ways to honor the stone’s beauty. One of these ways is hand-weaving it into 18K yellow gold chains to achieve a textile-like effect. Another is encasing one-of-a-kind carved Tanzanite stones in handmade 18K yellow gold bezels.