Written by Florence Neau of Athena Jewellery
Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a
beautiful one location gemstone, part of a group of mineral called
Zoisite. It is found in Tanzania close to Mount Kilimanjaro in an
area, which is approximately 4km long. It has beautiful blue and
violet to purple tones and very occasionally it can be found in
the pink and green tones. It is treated with heat like many gemstones
to enhance its clarity but I think it is also very nice in its
natural form.
Tanzanite is a very
recent discovery. There are several stories relating to its first
discovery but mostly you will find 1967 as a discovery date. At this
time, a Tanzanite is still more affordable than a Diamond but the
prices have gone up in the last year in particular due to an array of
difficulties surrounding its mining. Just keep in mind that it is
very unlikely that Tanzanite will be found anywhere else and it is
just as likely that all the mines will be depleted within the next
20-25 years.
This wonderful gemstone
is believed to promote the regeneration of cells, skin and hair. It
is also supposed to protect against the side-effects of medical or
surgical interventions.
Spiritually, Tanzanite
is a calming stone.
 |
| Tanzanite Earrings by Athena Jewellery |
Turquoise
Everybody knows
Turquoise; if not as a gemstone, it is known as a colour.
Unlike Tanzanite,
Turquoise was well known by ancient civilisations. It is said that
for the Aztecs, it was more popular than gold. Over the years it has
been used both for its beauty and its many beneficial properties.
Generally speaking, Turquoise works to restore
balance and good health, no matter your ailment.
Turquoise is treated to
enhance both its colour and durability. The lower the quality, the
more porous and soft the stone is. There are various treatments
consisting in waxing, oiling, epoxy binding etc… You may see
Turquoise sold as ‘’ Reconstituted Turquoise’’. It is
normally used with smaller fragments of Turquoise, which are crushed
into a power and reconstituted (bonded) with resin. Make sure you
buy from a reliable source though as it is not unusual to find
reconstituted Turquoise made of anything but the gemstone itself.
Use only soapy water to
care for this stone and always store on its own
 |
| Turquoise Bracelet by Athena Jewellery |
Zircon
I thought we would
briefly talk about Zircon, which is also one of the official December
birthstones in the US. It is not to be confused with Zirconia which
is a
lab-created synthetic material.
Zircon is over 4
billion years old so it really has nothing in common with a Zirconia!
This gemstone is a typical example of how the market prices do not
always reflect the real value and availability of a gemstone. By this
I mean that Zircon is rarer than Diamond, yet it is much more
affordable. Some gemologists reckon that if Zircon was marketed the
same way than Diamonds were, not only it would be way more expensive
but also all Zircon mines would be depleted within 12 months. The Zircon is hard and
dense, which may explain why it survived so many eras. They come in
various colours but brown, blue and white are the most used. The
colourless version is often used as a cheaper but natural substitute
to diamonds due to its brilliant luster.
The general meaning of
Zircon , both physical and spiritual, is Balance.
 |
| Zircon |
Wedding Anniversaries:
Tanzanite: 24th
Turquoise: 11th
