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I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one?

PattyCo

PattyCo

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Messages
598
There are some lucious Tanzanites out there!

http://www.gemfix.com/tanzanite.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/tanzanite-gemstone-2046340462.html?weight%5Bmin%5D=&weight%5Bmax%5D=&sell_price%5Bmin%5D=&sell_price%5Bmax%5D=&sort_by=sell_price&sort_order=ASC&items_per_page=60&=Apply

http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=view&cat=81

http://www.gemrite.com/collections/gems/tanzanite

http://www.africagems.com/tanzanite.html

I have a $2,000 budget to buy a Tanzanite and setting, hopefully one with diamond accents. The backstory is that several years ago my husband and I went on a cruise and seen Tanzanite International on board the ship. I thought it would be lovely to comemorate our voyage with a Tanzanite ring, but I didn't want to buy just any ol'e tanzanite, kwim? He was recently blessed with a bonus and said that it could be used to get the ring!!! So now, which one should it be, lol.... :naughty:
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

I really this one 7 rows down, 2nd in. But doesn't leave you much left over for a setting if you'd like some diamonds on it too.
http://www.gemfix.com/tanzanite.html

Tanzanite Cushion "Radiante" Cut
Weight: 2.08 cts
Measurements: 8.7x6.8mm, depth 5mm
Clarity: VVS
Origin: Tanzania
Enhancements: Heat only
Price: $ 1240.00
Order/Stock No.: tanzanite_662
Description: Sparkly and brilliant cushion Tanzanite. Violet and blue, excellent clarity, fantastic cut. (Cut by Andrew Gulij)
Pantone color card 2725/35C

This one is much less and a different shape; might be more versatile within your budget.
http://www.africagems.com/antique-square-bluepurpletanzanite-g2k-4134.html
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Thank you Chumleygirl :wavey: !

I am feeling a little lost in a sea of beautiful blue Tanzanite. I have been looking at them all but I don't know what to look for. I don't know what is a good cut or a bad one. I don't know what is a good shade or a bad shade. I don't know what is a good/normal treatment or bad one. The 2 you recommended did they have better cuts, or better color, or better clarity than the others?

The idea of a 3-stone ring has crossed my mind and have been on the look out for some pairs on Pre-loved, DB, and Louptroop. Then I will need to put them in a setting. Or find a setting that already has diamonds and can accomodate whatever Tanzanite I pick.

Oh what delicious torture this is... :D



P.S. What do you think of the oval that is next to the Radiant you recommended on the Gem Fix website?
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

How exciting, and what a lovely hubby you have! :love: I adore the flash of violet you get in deep coloured tanzies.

Just remember that tanzanite is a rather soft stone to have in a ring, and you may want to take precautions to protect it when its being worn. You're probably not thinking about the setting just yet, but it may affect the choice of stone as some shapes and sizes work better in different settings than others - particularly depending on how high you intend to have it set.

I have a tourmaline engagement ring and knew I would have to bezel it to protect it, which was a large contributor to the final shape and size that we chose for the stone. In the end, I got an emerald cut because I love the art deco influence - a bezelled round cut wouldn't have worked for me. It will also be easier for me to have the surfaces repolished and facets touched up, when inevitably needed. I also had it set very low to help minimise damage, which meant I had to take in to consideration the depth of the stone.

Just something to think about! :)
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

That is really kind of you to give me the info about Tanzanite being a bit soft, InToTheMystic. I was thinking of a 3-stone setting. Is Tanzanite too soft for a setting with prongs? Should it be bezeled instead?

The blue of the Tanzanite reminds me of our cruise and the color of the tropical seas, aaahhhhhhh, and yes I am a sentimental old fool... :lol:
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

PattyCo|1401681055|3684748 said:
That is really kind of you to give me the info about Tanzanite being a bit soft, InToTheMystic. I was thinking of a 3-stone setting. Is Tanzanite too soft for a setting with prongs? Should it be bezeled instead?
Click to expand...

A bezel will usually give better protection, however it is a trade off against the amount of light it will let in to the stone. My stone deepened slightly when it was set, which I was ok with as I preferred the darker green tone.

I've attached a profile pic of my ring below so you can see how low it is set. As you can see it is a three stone ring also, so a bezel won't prevent you from going down that path. It does change the look of the piece though, and tends to make it a bit more 'modern' looking, which you may not prefer. I wanted a solid chunky amount of metal in mine as well, but not everybody does.





You can certainly prong set it, however different designs (eg halo vs solitaire) will leave different amounts of the stone exposed.

If you're keen on a three stone without a bezel, maybe you could do something like the below with some nice solid prongs to give a bit of extra protection? Do you have a particular preference for rounded or squared off stones?

20130701_0.jpg

greenbling2_profile.jpg
 

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Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Hey there PattyCo :wavey: I have limited experience with tanzanite -- have an oval which is more violetish than blue, which I tend to favor in color. It is considered less desirable that the coveted deep blue in the tanz world. (I think color is a very personal aesthetic preference - pick what you would like to see on your hand!) As far as treatments, regular heat is standard with tanz.

There’s a lot of great info here on the GIA site: http://www.gia.edu/tanzanite
Click around and arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before you embark on your awesome project!

I chose those two stones because I personally like the cut and shapes of them, at least from the photos. The first one I posted is cut by a respected PS vendor - not sure about the 2nd one. I think the one to the left of the Gemfix radiant is certainly worth looking at - it was cut by the same person, Andrew G. I haven't used either of these vendors or any of the vendors you listed, so I cannot comment on them. But maybe have look at the last page/post of this thread and see if any of these respected gemstone dealers have any tanz that you find interesting. If you are thinking about a 3 stone, they can prob match a 3 suite best for you, rather than you searching for a center, then for 2 that might complement them...
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/page-5']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/page-5[/URL]

Which ever vendor you end up buying your stones from, I would most definitely ensure that the vendor has a great return policy, so you can see the product in person and judge for yourself, especially for clarity aspect (maybe enlist the opinion of a trusted jeweler).

Totally agree with InToTheMystic’s setting advice, it is prudent planning to take into account that tanz is 6-7 of the mohs to protect your lovely gems! ;)) I've had CvB to create a few custom projects for me - definitely worth an email if you are thinking about going the custom design route.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

I'm sure I've read here on PS that bezel setting can put added pressure on the already brittle stone and it isn't highly recommended? ....I have a half eternity that has a few tanzanite stones in it and I'd had it 5 days before I scratched one.. Gutted! I'm realising just how careful I have to be with it and I won't wear it every day as I'd intended now :(

I'm still really new to this so I apologise in advance if I am wrong re. The above info.

I actually prefer the more violet tone. My stones are small but are a light blue with violet hues and next to diamonds I really like it. I think because they are unmistakable as tanzanite and clearly a gemstone of its own. Some of the darker colours could be mistaken as sapphires to someone who really knows nothing about gemstones (like most of my friends and family!) .. half of them had never even heard of tanzanite, which I was supposed at!
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Surprised! - autocorrect messing with my text there!


Oh ..and i never see tanzanite discussed much here, I wonder if it's due to its softness? ... my ring I love for sentimental value as I expect you will yours too!
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Your choice of tanzanite colour is personal; you may love the trade preferred colour or something else. The ideal colour is a medium dark violetish blue with intense to vivid saturation. In terms of cut, I know the CS posters here can help guide you to something cut well.

As others mentioned, most jewellers feel more comfortable prong setting a tanzanite over bezel setting because it is less likely to cause damage to the tanzanite during the setting process. A bezel setting only protects the girdle though, still leaving the crown exposed. As mentioned above, it has a tendency to darken the tanzanite somewhat, depending on the bezel design and the tanzanite itself. Whichever style you select, it is imperative that you go with a bench that has experience setting softer stones. I've had a PS favourite and a non-PS bench chip my spinels during the setting process (prong set) and that is a much harder stone than tanzanite.

Most tanzanite have been heat treated and this is generally to be expected and accepted. There are other treatments out there such as coating but they are uncommon.

tanzanite-gia-color-chart3.gif
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Thank you one and all for your kind responses :wavey: !

InToTheMystic, your engagement ring is beautiful! And I appreciate the picture of the blue 3-stone ring. That is the idea floating around in my head. I found some oval diamonds, not purchased them yet, though.

chumleygirl, I am grateful for the links you posted. I have been looking for side diamonds and found some ovals on the Pre-loved forum, so I am thinking of doing an Oval Tanzanite. Are there pictures of your oval on PS?

I am familiar with the list of PS vendors and have worked with Melissa and Wink before. On that project they supplied all the stone so I would have to find some one who would work with outside stones. Hopefully they would because they did such a nice job for me and it would be great to work with them again.

MrsCornishWed, oh no, your poor ring :(( ! Were you able to get it repaired? Thanks for warning me how easily Tanzanite could be damaged. I will be extra careful. Your right about the sentiment factor of this ring. Looking back it seems like every sentimental moment is expressed in my rings; engagement ring, wedding ring, mothers ring, and now a "cruise ring", lol! My son got married in September and I totally plan on getting a ring with my new "daughters" birthstone in it!! :lol:

Chrono, thank you for the graph. I am working my way through reading LD's "New to Coloured Gemstones" and seen it there, too. As far as color, the only Tanzanites I have seen were on the cruise and at my local jewelery store. The ones at the jewelry store were very small and pretty pale in color. The ones on the cruise I didn't trust because they were by a company called Tanzanite International and yet I hadn't ever heard of them in the States. Maybe I over reacted, but it seemed a little fishy. Plus now I get to hunt and pick my own, and isn't that going to be fun??? :appl:
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Into themystic that is a stunning bezel ring!!
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

I highly suggest getting the tanzanite first, then worrying about the side diamonds and settings. It is more difficult to find the right colour ,size and shaped tanzanite to fit a particular setting and side diamond proportion. I agree that most local places carry only the paler version and that the better saturated and deeper toned tanzanite are fewer and more expensive. Have you considered Jeff Davies? The last I looked, he had several gorgeous tanzanite.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

There aren't any photos of my oval on PS, but here's a photo of it in indoor indirect sunlight. (Please excuse my unwaxed hairy fingers) I prefer the violetish hues like MrsCornishWed. =) I had it removed from this setting and swapped it for a sapphire because I worried about it scratching when I learned about the mohs of tanzanites... But after looking at this photo, I might put it back, as I see I don't wear this ring too often and plus I think this original stone is more complementary and brings out the pink sapphires & YG bezels more so than the light bluish sapph that is in it now. I think the halo around it would provide a bit of protection from dings, while being set in the prongs.

18ktanzpinksapp2croppd.jpg
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

I prefer the medium-light hued (not pale)Tanzanites more than the darker ones since IMHO they look more like sapphires. Plus all those dark Tanz's you see on Gem Shopping Network really turned me off. I like to see the violet pop out of the blue and they seem to have a bit more sparkle as you can see the facets more.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

I LOVE that cushion in the first link Chrono!! So yummy. I really like the fat pillowy shape.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Chrono, thank you for the wise advice to not rush getting sidestones before the center stone. That is hard to do when it seems providencial that there "happens" to be some available, and beautiful ones to boot :D . And the Jeff Davies tanzanites are positively mouth watering!!!

Chumleygirl, your tanzinite ring is gorgeous and I hope you do put the tanzanite back in it. In my looking I have found my eye drawn to the more blue stones, but I suppose a bit of violet would make it look less like a sapphire, is that right? The cushion that Chrono suggested is indeed a beauty.

Lambskin, I also like the many flashes of violet and the facets are so pretty.


I would like to ask opinions on certain stones but don't want a lurker to get them. What would be the best thing to do to prevent that? I suspect that putting stones on hold requires a fee, right? But that would eat into my $2,000 budget. What do you suggest?
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Wherever possible, do not post the link to the stone, only pictures. Of course the more savvy PSers will recognize who the vendor is but the more savvy PSers are also not the type to buy a stone from under you. Most vendors will not require a fee to hold a stone (if you are reasonable and are only interested in 1 stone). Explain to the vendor that you are very interested in this particular stone and have questions to ask him/her but worry the stone will be sold whilst it is under discussion, therefore would he/she consider reserving the stone during this 1 or 2 day period.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Thank you Chrono, that really helps. I have kind of picked one!!!! I am contacting them right now!!! Boy my heart is beating like mad!
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Well, here is the one that I am interested in(I hope the picture is visable). Is it a good choice? Is it too light? Does the color seem to be spread out evenly? I noticed a lot of purple on the lower edge but that might just be the way it photographed, right? I didn't notice any window or extinction, but then again I am a new to all this and don't have a trained eye...

I am thinking of setting it east/west. What do you think of oval diamonds set east/west as side stones, a la LM-esqe? I contacted Melissa to see if Wink will set stones that he did not source and am still waiting on a response. If that doesn't work out with Wink, is there anyone else that will set outside stones?


Boy oh boy do I ever appreciate everyones help and guidance on this project!

_18840.jpg
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

The unevenness is color is probably real. Are you set on a rectangular cushion? You could ask Jeff if he has anything else with a better color distribution.

The round that is about $1800 has better color, based on the trade ideal.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Oh what a pickle I am in. The cusion might not be evenly colored and the round you suggested would cost my whole budget. I liked several of the oval tanzanites on the Gem Fix website, but after being educated that tanzanites are a big soft and easily damaged I thought they would be too long to wear safely. The cushion seemed to be a wearable size plus the price of it would allow for a setting.

What do you think of the Tanzanites on the Gem Fix website, any look good?

http://www.gemfix.com/tanzanite.html
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Thank you Pregcurious and Chrono. I will e-mail Jeff right now. Should I ask for other pictures? If so, what should I ask for?
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

If he can, a video of the 2 stones together is best. His pictures aren't the most accurate but his videos are truer to what you will receive and see.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Due to its price, I will pass on the round from Jeff. Is it still worth getting a video of the cushion from Jeff? Do I post it here if he does a video?

Between the Tanzanite from Jeff and the one from Litnon, which would you recommend?
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Yes, I think it is a good idea to get a video of the cushion just so that you know you made the right choice. He will post the video on YT or his website, so once it is up, let us know and we'll go look.

I like the Litnon tanzanite too but let's see the video first. If it truly shows split colouration, then the choice is clear. I want to make sure it's not showing its trichroism in that picture.
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

I just e-mailed Jeff about a video and I put in a request with Litnon to put a hold of some sort on the cusion you posted. So hopefully one of these will be a winner :appl: . I truly appreciate all the help. I wish I could take you all to lunch or something...

On the cushion from Litnon, did you notice the blurriness in the center in a couple of the close-ups?
 
Re: I am a lucky girl and can get a Tanzanite, but which one

Let's wait and see; at some point, further dissection of photography is seeing things that might not be there in real life. I'm guessing there is a small tilt window and once set, will not be noticeable due to the size and darker colouration.
 
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