Women's Sterling Silver Tanzanite & White Zircon Ring

Gemstone of the century meets oldest stone on earth.

When tanzanite debuted in 1967, it was a sensation. Henry Platt, Tiffany’s President, called tanzanite “The most beautiful blue gemstone to be discovered in 2000 years.” Unlike other gemstones, which are mined all over the world, tanzanite can be found in only one place on Earth: in the remote Merelani Hills in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. What makes tanzanite so irresistible is its beautiful violet blue color, a hue unlike any color you’ve seen. A color that mimics a gorgeous mixture of the best sapphire, amethyst and blue topaz. Tanzanite is also trichroic — which means that three different colors are visible when the stone is viewed from different angles.

Experts estimate tanzanite deposits will run out in 30 years. And once the world’s supply of tanzanite is gone, it’s gone for good and we’ll all be left staring up at the sky, longing for another bolt from the blue. In the Tanzanite Rarity Collection, oval-cut tanzanite stones are artfully arranged in a tarnish-free sterling silver setting. White zircon rounds provide the perfect frame for this blue-violet wonder.

Tanzanite at a glance

• It started with a lightning bolt. One strike set the African plains on fire and uncovered a secret that was buried for more than 585 million years.
  
• Tanzanite is only found one place on earth: In a remote 20 square mile area in Tanzania in the hills surrounds Mount Kilimanjaro.
  
• This blue variety of zoisite was named for Tanzania, the country where it was found, by Tiffany & Co.
  
• Tanzanite is pleochroic, showing three different colors when viewed from different directions.
  
• Scientists say Tanzanite is 1000 times rarer than diamonds.
  
• Experts estimate that tanzanite deposits will have run out in 30 years.
  
• Although it’s a newcomer to the gemstone industry, tanzanite has quickly become one of the most popular colored gemstones due to its vivid color, high clarity, and potential for large cut stones.
  
• Tanzanite often fetches prices higher than rubies, emeralds or diamonds, and is sold for thousands a carat at 5th avenue shops.
  
• Biggest gemstone discovery of the last 100 years, and the ONLY stone added to the American Gem Society’s list of official birthstones since 1912.
  

• Oldest mineral on earth: 4 billion years old.
  
• Zircon’s pronounced double refraction means you can see twice as many facets and twice as much fire.
  
• With radioactive trace elements that tick off time, zircon is a geological clock that tells us about the early earth.
  

Details

• Sterling Silver Setting
  
• (15) 5x3mm Oval Tanzanite Stones, 3.75 ctw
  
• (40) Round White Zircons, 0.50 ctw