When asked to consider the most popular gemstones many people will list Diamonds, Sapphires and Rubies. But Tanzanite is growing in popularity to such an extent that it is now challenging these stones. The major selling point of Tanzanite is it’s apparent rarity, with marketing frequently focusing on the fact that Tanzanite has so far, and most scientists are convinced it will not be found in any other place, only been found in one place, the foothills of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (hence the name). Tanzanite is actually a Zoisite mineral but it’s name was changed by Tiffany due to it’s resemblance in pronounciation to ‘suicide.’

Tanzanite has gained wide popularity due to it’s refractive capabilites, in it’s rough state it is trichroic which essentially means that as light enters the stone it is split, or refracted, into three different sections of the visible light spectrum. This is changed during the heating procress (almost all Tanzanite is heat treated, as it is a brown colour in rough form), when it becomes dichroic therefore only refracting into two sections of the visible light spectrum, red and blue. This is what gives Tanzanite it’s deep blue colour and what enables the flashes of violet and red to be seen in the gemstone.

It is often quoted by Tanzanite companies that it is ‘rarer than ,’ while this may be true in terms of location, it is certainly not reflected in price. A flawless carat of Tanzanite will be close to $1,000 which is considerably less than a carat of ‘perfect’ diamond.

The main disadvantage of Tanzanite over something such as Sapphire is it’s relative softness. Ranked on the moh hardness scale at 6.5 compared to Sapphire at 9, it is more difficuilt to cut and more prone to breakage once set, therefore it must be looked after incredibly well. Tanzanite should also never be placed in an ultrasonic cleaner, although we have had cases where it has been placed in and been fine, it is not recommended and you are taking a risk of ruining the gem.

In conclusion, Tanzanite has been growing extrememely quickly in popularity and does look to continue this way, even if it is estimated we can only mine it for 15 more years.

It’s very fashionable and modern today to have a message or your spouse’s name engraved or laser inscribed on the outside of the metal wedding bands. For some though, this seems a bit too flaunting and they prefer to have a message engraved on the inside of the wedding ring. Outside or inside, engraving and laser inscribed messages are becoming very popular. Sometimes it’s just the date and the names of the couple and sometimes it’s a quote or a personalised message from one to the other.

A wedding ring becomes unique when it is personalised with a message and that is what you want them to be – a symbol of your special love for each other – a love that you know is no other’s but yours and to seal that love, rings that you know can be no other’s but yours. So go ahead and get those rings engraved – whether inside or outside is entirely up to you. Think about the message you want to put there – something that will stand the test of time. Don’t let anyone else make the choice for you – these are rings you have to live with for a lifetime.

A further option worth consideration is engraving the outside and embosing the inside, or vice-versa.  Embosing the inside does not hurt your finger but it does leave a mark on the skin when the ring is taken off, which is not a bad way to be reminded of something worth remembering.

Embosing the outside is  also a good option because it is quite rare and will set your ring out as unique.  A simple drawing embosed can look incredible and could be the difference between a good ring and a great ring.

Whichever option you choose it is the message that is the most important, pick something you want to see everyday and something that is a special to you as the ring itself.  Often dates such as the wedding day, or first date, if remembered,  are engraved.  A good idea for an embosing could be a simple stick drawing to a simple cartoon, or special symbol between the couple.

For wedding rings please

They say that 30% of diamonds are fluorescent. This can be seen under a UV light and this is why diamond grading laboratories grade the diamonds on this parameter. How does it affect a diamond in real light or artificial lighting? Sometimes a lot, sometimes it’s hardly noticeable – it all depends on the shade of fluorescence. If a diamond has a blue fluorescence, then the diamond will look whiter and brighter. Certain other colours can make it look great in artificial light and dull in real light.

So should you reject all diamonds with some amount of fluorescence for your engagement rings? Not always, unless you find that there is a difference for the worse in real light. The advantage is, those with fluorescence are graded low by the grading labs so you might just be able to pick up a bargain. Just the fact that a diamond has it means it will be mentioned in its certification reports and that is enough to bring down the cost. The usual colours that fluoresce in a diamond are blue and yellow. You could ask the jeweller to show you examples and decide for yourself how they look.

Something worth considering is the fact that the intense colours you will see when flourescent diamonds are shown is due to the large amounts of UV light being directed at it.  In other words, in normal conditions under everyday UV radiation, from the sun for example, you will not see an intense colour but rather a ‘cloudy’ diamond.  This cloudiness has been likened to the look of vaseline smeared over the diamond, and is clearly undesirable.

If you want a diamond that is an intense or different colour then look towards either naturally coloured diamonds or the much cheaper heat-treated option.  As this way you can ensure you get a unique colour diamond engagement ring, without the dreaded cloudy effect that is all you get from heavily fluorescent diamonds in daylight.