December Gift Ideas: Tanzanite and Turquoise

From Empire Pawn of Nassau, Inc of East Meadow, NY

If you or a loved one has a December birthday, consider a gift of tanzanite or turquoise for the holidays or their birthday, two of December’s striking blue-toned birthstones.

Here are some rare and interesting facts about these festive gemstones.
Tanzanite

• Tanzanite is named after the East African state of Tazmania, the only place in the world where it can be found.

• The blue variety of tanzanite is called zoisite.

• Tanzanite comes in a rich blue tinged with purple hues.

• Tanzanite ranks 6 or 7 on the Mohs scale, meaning it has fair to poor toughness. It should not be set in a ring that will be worn during strenuous activity.

• Never clean tanzanite in an ultrasonic cleaner.

• Tanzanite was found in 1967 and is a relatively recent discovery. The gemstone was offered to Tiffany & Co.

• Originally known as blue zoisite, the mineral’s name was changed to tanzanite—the place where it was found—by Henry Platt, Vice President of Tiffany & Co., because he felt zoisite sounded too much like suicide.

• In October 2002, the American Gem Trade Association officially named tanzanite as the third December birthstone (the other two are turquoise and zircon).

• In the 1997 movie, Titanic, the beautiful heart-shaped blue pendant necklace that Kate Winslet wore called the “Heart of the Ocean” was in fact a tanzanite stone surrounded by diamonds.

Turquoise

• Turquoise is a blue-green mineral, with the chemical name of hydrated copper aluminum phosphate.

• The gemstone’s blue color can be attributed to the presence of copper while the presence of aluminum adds a greenish hue to the gem.

• With a rating between 5 and 6, turquoise should be handled carefully and stored separately from other harder gemstones.

• The word turquoise is derived from the Old French word meaning Turkish stone.

• The ancient Egyptians used turquoise in jewelry, art, ornaments, and statues because they believed it had magical powers.

• Some of the finest turquoise is known to come from Iran, but high-grade turquoise is also mined in Arizona and New Mexico.

• Turquoise is sacred to many Native Americans. In the past, Native Americans would use it as a shaman’s stone, which were stones believed to have strong metaphysical properties for spiritual growth.

• It takes millions of years and the right conditions for turquoise to be formed when water enters an iron-rich limonite or sandstone that contains copper, aluminum, and other minerals.

• Turquoise may contain narrow vein-like markings of its host rock. These markings are known as the matrix. Limonite creates a dark brown marking while sandstone creates tan markings. The presence of a matrix can lower the value of a turquoise.

If you’re looking for a gift for someone born in December, that’s perfect for the holidays, Empire Jewelers has a beautiful and affordable collection of tanzanite and turquoise pieces at Empire’s eBay store!