For a mineral to be considered a gem, it “must be beautiful, durable and rare. These three factors are what make a gem desirable.” So says the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) at the start of its colored-gemstone course. But two other factors are vital for a gem’s long-term success: continuous supply and consistent marketing.
Diamonds have benefited from both of those, originally due to efforts by De Beers, but the first colored stone to enjoy the same support — and to be traceable from mine to market — was tanzanite, courtesy of mining and marketing firm TanzaniteOne. In true Hollywood style, there were three milestone moments in the history of tanzanite: the discovery, the big break and the comeback.
A star is born
Goan prospector Manuel De Souza discovered tanzanite on July 7, 1967, near the Tanzanian village of Mtakuja, according to industry sources. While it was initially thought to be sapphire, testing identified it as the gem variety of the mineral zoisite. Until then, most people in the trade had only encountered green zoisite, so the find was especially notable.
The gem’s big break happened when Henry B. Platt, then vice president of Tiffany & Co., gave this blue zoisite the stage name “tanzanite” and granted it main and supporting roles in the brand’s fine- and high-jewelry collections.
But while the attention from Tiffany enhanced its popularity, that initial momentum was difficult to sustain without a consistent supply of quality gems.
“In the late 1980s, the Tanzanian government lost control of the mining
area to thousands of informal miners,” the GIA explains in the course. “In the resulting chaos, an oversupply of the gems flooded the international marketplace. Consumer interest was reawakened, but there was little control over supply, so prices plunged.”
In general, jewelry brands hesitate to invest in marketing gemstones when they are unsure of future supply and the trajectory of pricing. Some, however, continued buying tanzanite, believing in its potential. One such party was Moossa LeVian, president of jewelry firm Le Vian.
“We’ve always been fascinated with tanzanite since its discovery, and during the ’80s and ’90s, we stepped up import of this gem considerably,” he says. “At one stage, tanzanite accounted for 40% of Le Vian’s annual sales.”
Promotional material
Tanzanite’s comeback occurred in the late ’90s, when a company called AFGEM — later to become TanzaniteOne — acquired Block C of the mining concession from the government. “We positioned ourselves as a marketing company that mines, pioneering initiatives such as a proprietary grading system, and establishing sales and distribution networks,” recalls Mike Nunn, who was the firm’s chairman and CEO at the time. “Additionally, we created the Tanzanite Foundation to ensure a certain percentage of our revenue went back toward funding projects important for the communities living around our mine.”
The marketing aspect of the company was key, “continuously keeping the conversation focused on tanzanite,” he continues. “It sounds straightforward now, but we encountered many challenges along the way, from invasions by illegal miners to dealing with corruption and bureaucracy on various fronts. Our strong commitment to developing tanzanite’s ethical route to market, combined with its inherent beauty and extraordinary origin story, is what continued to drive us forward.”
Colors by the eyeful
With tanzanite, bigger is often better, says geologist-turned-gem-purveyor Robert Gessner of Gessner Gems: “Tanzanite’s size is directly proportionate to its color — the larger the gemstone, the stronger (more saturated) the blue-violet color.”
In fact, tanzanite is trichroic. Unheated tanzanite dazzles with a display of three different colors, depending on the viewing angle: blue, violet and red/brown. Depending on additional trace elements, they may be green-blue and purple. When heated stones in large sizes are properly cut and polished, the depth of color combines with the excellent crystal quality to deliver a rich blue-purple visual.
While a traditional comparison is with blue sapphire, contemporary designers and their clients are falling in love with the distinctive personality of tanzanite.
“We respond to jewels — and gemstones — emotionally,” muses Dale Hernsdorf, a goldsmith and jewelry artist based in Los Angeles, California. “I’m really drawn to that deep blue, indigo and violet range of tanzanite’s color. The gem’s hues reveal themselves differently from different angles, in different lights, and it puts me in mind of the ocean. I grew up sailing, spending a lot of time on the water, and I think that’s partly why I respond so strongly to tanzanite. Their shift and change in hue is like deep water.”
Hernsdorf goes for only the highest-quality specimens. “I’m very particular about the depth of color of the stones I choose for my pieces. Tanzanites display a wide range of quality. The best of them are actually rarer than diamonds. Those are the stones I focus on. I only work with high-grade tanzanites with pure, deep color, as well as cabochon stones with gorgeous inclusions that invite one into their own internal world of beauty.”
Fine-jewelry designer Daria de Koning is equally smitten. “I love the diverse tones and hues of tanzanite, from pale icy-blue to deep lavender-blue. I even have some that contain a pale-green edging that is simply gorgeous. Blue, in my opinion, is always a draw for people, and tanzanite offers an alluring, soulful shade [of it]. I have created a handful of custom pieces with my clients who brought tanzanite from their travels to Tanzania. The gems are not just a memento of their trip, but part of their life story.”
However, de Koning is less of a purist than Hernsdorf when it comes to color. “I prefer to play with a variety of sizes and colors. I am not as concerned about depth of color; for me, it’s about each individual gem and how it works into the piece of jewelry I am creating. I tend to use cabochon cuts, because I feel those hold pools of color and are more interesting.”
Images:Collector’s Edge Minerals; Daria de Koning
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2020. To subscribe click here.