For as long as I can remember blue, green and red have been the most frequently bought, sold and referred to stones in the market. Of course the first three stones that come to mind are ruby, emerald and sapphire.
Today the market is in its “next generation” phase and people from both the industry and the consumer side are looking for something new. Recently east Africa has been producing some amazing colors of blue, green and red these are tanzanite (blue), tsavorite (green) and spinel (red). Tanzanite was found in 1967 by Mount Kilimanjaro. The beautiful purple violet/blue hues of the stone bring it as close to the color of a sapphire than any other stone out there. (There is one exception, which is blue spinel; unfortunately blue spinel is so rare, especially in such a great color, which is why tanzanite is referred to as “the next sapphire.”)
Sapphires come in a huge range of color and of course, like all stones, their looks can range from ugly to gorgeous. Tanzanite is a softer stone, but that should not stop one from wanting it for its beauty. Recently I had the same size of a parcel of tanzanite and a parcel of sapphire. The sapphires were just a little pricier per carat, weighed more and were extremely dark compared to the excellent cut, top color tanzanite- which could have easily been confused with Kashmir sapphires. Sure Kashmir sapphires look gorgeous but the price is highly unaffordable. Tanzanite is the first step into the gemstone revolution.
Tanzanite is an extremely rare and beautiful stone, which is the more affordable substitute for sapphire. Carelle has worked with both species for a long time and highly supports both stones. I personally believe that a higher education in tanzanite is necessary for the consumer, and any proper luxury jeweler should be able to assist in this.
