In every person’s career there is a seminal moment, that quintessential thunderbolt striking that gives one clarity which makes all the difference. For me it came in my 20’s. I was walking in a shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa and as was my habit, I walked past a jeweller’s window and there it was in full glory. I had never laid eyes on it in quite that way but in this moment my heart skipped a beat, my blood quickened and I felt nothing short of exhilaration. I had just spotted my Game Changer – the catalyst that would push me to pursue my passion in later years but there and then emblazoned itself in my eyes, heart and head as the reason I loved gemstones. That game changer was… Tanzanite!
It is well known already that Tivon Fine Jewellery excels like no other at creating the finest Tanzanite jewellery with the finest and rarest specimens of Tanzanite gemstones. However, not many know why we excel at this so well and what drives us to offer such a large array of one of the world’s finest gemstones.
Well, to understand the full story, we must first look at what makes Tanzanite so special.
It reads almost like a fairy tale. In a far off land – Tanzania – a gem like no other lay in wait. This gem would soon wow the world but few at the time knew of its full beauty or how rare it truly was. It came from humble beginnings where the local Maasai tribes had collected surface specimens and fashioned them into beads meant to imbue fertility and good health. Then in 1967 it was brought to Tiffany of New York which dubbed the Zoisite mineral as ‘Tanzanite’ and forever giving blessing it with its common name. But although the name was common and palatable, there was nothing common about this stone. It was regal in every sense. With incredible deep and rich hues of royal blues and violets and just a hint of burgundy, this gem outshone many other gems. Little did anyone know what twist of fate would befall this gift from the gods.
Fast forward to the early 90’s and a geological study was carried out by the main mine to estimate what the extent of the deposits were and their potential yield. What was discovered then forever more changed the course of popularity of Tanzanite. They discovered that deposits were far lower in extent than had ever been thought. Unlike diamonds which are found in many countries around the world, Tanzanite with this particular combination of minerals was only to be found in this part of the world and globally speaking, not that much of it was on offer. Word spread rapidly and the popularity of Tanzanite was catapulted worldwide. Gem lovers and collectors soon started hearing of this incredibly beautiful gem which was not only gorgeous but now very finite in supply and availability. Available in only one relatively minute area on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, this gem was marketed and sold on its rarity.
Jump ahead almost 3 decades and the world still enjoys and loves Tanzanite. It is still being mined but what has to be understood is that although it is still being mined, the percentage of truly “gem-grade” stones being recovered has decreased drastically. The vast majority of what the market sees is stockpiled old stock or mass-market pale lavender coloured Tanzanite. The regal deep blues and violets are still in the minority and still very much the flavour of choice for many of the world’s greatest jewellery houses.
Now this tale, while interesting and certainly food for the mind, is not the stimulus for the passion we put into the production of our Tanzanite jewellery. If this had been a dirty brown stone with all the life of a sloth, no one would give it a second look. But the life and look of a Tanzanite is like no other. It scintillates like a diamond, it plays with the eyes showing off its shades of blue, violet and burgundy in the best of specimens. It captures the imagination and enslaves the heart until all who gaze on it simply fall in love. For me personally Tanzanite was my game changer and my favourite gemstone. It sits atop our collections as the crowning glory of our achievements and we ensure each and every one of our customers receives only the very best so that they too fall in love and have a lifelong romance with this game changing gemstone.
