Not sure I've asked before, but....

[Ant7t]

A related two-part comment. As tanzanite comes in shades of browns / yellows as well as blues, can any colour tanzanite be 'made' blue? And can any colour pearl be bleached, or do they need 'white' ones intially? Guess what I've got on, as I write?

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Technically, it should only be called 'Tanzanite' when it is blue. The so-called 'Yellow Tanzanites' and 'Pink Tanzanites' that Gemporia sell are 'Zoisite'.

Its yet another misleading marketing tactic used to justify 'rarity' or to charge a higher price because people don't really know the name 'Zoisite'.

So, Tanzanite = Blue, and only from Tanzania. All other colours = Zoisite, and available from numerous mines.

But in answer to your question, MOST Tanzanite comes out of the mine with a brown or reddish-brown hue. Heat treating removes those browns and reddish-browns to give it a vibrant blue hue.

It is also available naturally as a blue stone - but this is much rarer, usually not as vibrant in colour as the treated material, and it tends to show more pleochroism as you tilt it too (because heat treatment takes out a lot of secondary hues - resulting in less pleochroism).

Untreated rough Tanzanite tends to be this sort of colour:

 

[Ant7t]

The so-called 'Yellow Tanzanites' and 'Pink Tanzanites' that Gemporia sell are 'Zoisite'.

Its yet another misleading marketing tactic used to justify 'rarity' or to charge a higher price because people don't really know the name 'Zoisite'.

And pink Zoisite is called Thulite, so all they needed to say is, this is 'insert colour here', zoisite from Tanzania. But of course, as you say, money making on the 'name' Tanzanite.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

And pink Zoisite is called Thulite, so all they needed to say is, this is 'insert colour here', zoisite from Tanzania. But of course, as you say, money making on the 'name' Tanzanite.

Ah not quite. It's a bit more complicated than that.

All Pink Thulite is Pink Zoisite - but not all Pink Zoisite is Pink Thulite.

Pink Thulite is generally Opaque but occasionally Translucent - whereas Pink Zoisite is generally Transparent to Translucent.

Pink Thulite gets its colour solely from Manganese, with white inclusions of Calcite. Pink Zoisite is not coloured by Manganese.

It's similar to Agate and Quartz. All Agate is a type of Quartz - but Quartz is not a type of Agate.

 

[Ant7t]

Ah not quite. It's a bit more complicated than that.

All Pink Thulite is Pink Zoisite - but not all Pink Zoisite is Pink Thulite.

Pink Thulite is generally Opaque but occasionally Translucent - whereas Pink Zoisite is generally Transparent to Translucent.

Pink Thulite gets its colour solely from Manganese, with white inclusions of Calcite. Pink Zoisite is not coloured by Manganese.

It's similar to Agate and Quartz. All Agate is a type of Quartz - but Quartz is not a type of Agate.

Thanks. See, never a day goes past where you don't learn something Or, in your case, 'teach' something.

 

[stratobuddy]

I bought a Moisanite ring, mainly to see if the stone was as good as they said. It's one of the things I regret buying, but I was caught up by the IW hype (although I didn't buy it from them, but from the maker (Colville (sp) and someone) at a good price; I hope it's genuine.

 

[AndyW]

I bought a Moisanite ring, mainly to see if the stone was as good as they said. It's one of the things I regret buying, but I was caught up by the IW hype (although I didn't buy it from them, but from the maker (Colville (sp) and someone) at a good price; I hope it's genuine.

Bought one too, out of curiosity, from TJC after the Charles & Colvard copyright/licence restrictions/IP expired and in a "smackdown". As to "genuine"? As I understand it, no natural moissanite in sufficient crystal sizes to be faceted has ever been found. All jewellery has lab-created "stones".

 

[stratobuddy]

Bought one too, out of curiosity, from TJC after the Charles & Colvard copyright/licence restrictions/IP expired and in a "smackdown". As to "genuine"? As I understand it, no natural moissanite in sufficient crystal sizes to be faceted has ever been found. All jewellery has lab-created "stones".

By genuine I meant man-made by the exclusive makers at that time, and that I hadn't stumbled upon a fake website.

EDIT the exlusive makers were Charles & Colvard, but now it seems that anyone can supply them.

 

[donna255]

I see quite a bit of Moissanite on TJC and the prices are really cheap compared to what IW used to sell it at. I was wondering about that, so the licence expired and anyone can create their own now.

 

[historymystery]

I bought a Moisanite ring, mainly to see if the stone was as good as they said. It's one of the things I regret buying, but I was caught up by the IW hype (although I didn't buy it from them, but from the maker (Colville (sp) and someone) at a good price; I hope it's genuine.

I think most of us have been caught by the hype at one time or another over something we've bought from these channels. Let's face it, they do (or did) a good job of convincing us that they knew what they were talking about. I know I'm much more savvy now after years of watching selly telly, and I'm sure you are, too. We now know that we should shop around, and that there is a certain amount of economy with the truth at times, perhaps.