Tanzanite Beads
Tanzanite beads are blue to violet zoisite, a calcium aluminum silicate found in gem quality in only one place on Earth, the Merelani Hills of northern Tanzania. It was identified in 1967 and named by Tiffany & Co. the following year. This collection holds natural tanzanite in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Appearance
Bead tanzanite runs from a pale lavender through periwinkle to a saturated violet-blue, lighter and more lilac than the deep blue of large faceted stones, because the color intensifies with depth and small beads are thin. Strands often mix shades, and a few beads may lean grey or show a flash of the pink that tanzanite shows from a second direction, since the stone is strongly pleochroic.
A faceted cut is the usual finish, since it brightens the pale color and catches the violet flashes; polished rounds give a softer, more even lavender. Tanzanite is 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, with a single direction of easy cleavage, so it chips on a sharp knock and should not go through ultrasonic cleaners or sudden heat. It is a good necklace and earring stone, and a bracelet stone for occasions rather than every day.
Formation and origin
Tanzanite formed about 585 million years ago, when the collision that built East Africa's mountains heated and folded calcium-rich sediments and the right trace of vanadium entered the zoisite. The deposit at Merelani, near Arusha, is only a few kilometers long. Vanadium gives the blue and violet; most crystals come out of the ground brown, and heating to around 600 degrees Celsius shifts the vanadium into its blue state. Iolite, glass and synthetic forsterite are the common look-alikes, and tanzanite's lilac-to-blue color shift is the quickest check.
Pairings
Green apatite beads: teal green against violet-blue, a pairing many makers buy together; both are soft, so wear them gently.
Emerald beads: green beryl and violet zoisite, both cut small, a rich, cool-toned combination.
Ruby beads: red corundum beside violet tanzanite, with knots or spacers so the harder ruby does not scratch the zoisite.
Meaning and Metaphysical Beliefs
Tanzanite has no ancient lore, having been known for only a few decades, and its traditions are modern. Maasai stories tell of lightning turning brown stones blue, and blue stones are said to be given to Maasai mothers at a child's birth. In crystal traditions it is associated with transformation and insight, and it is placed with the throat, third eye and crown chakras. It is a birthstone for December. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.
