December babies are spoilt for choice when it comes to the birthstone of the month – tanzanite, turquoise or zircon. Here’s our edit of couture jewellery for Tanzanite enthusiasts.
Folkore has it that in 1967, a Masai tribesman stumbled upon a cluster of highly transparent, intense violet-to-blue crystals weathering out of the earth in Merelani, an area of northern Tanzania. He alerted a local fortune hunter, Manuel d’Souza, who quickly registered a few mining claims. D’Souza hoped that he’d discovered a new sapphire deposit. Instead, it turned out to be a new addition to the world of gems.
The stone with its intense and unusual colour fascinated Tiffany & Co, who became its main distributor. Tiffany then threw the spotlight on the African gemstone with its advertising campaign in 1968 – and the rest of the world fell in love with this gorgeous gem. The luxury house also christened the “blue zoisite” as homage to its country of origin – Tanzanite.
Whether you believe in the significance of birthstones or not, your jewellery collection could always do with a pop of velvety, rich blue or violet Tanzanites.
