Help in choosing a Tanzanite

[Wilson]

Hello all...I have been reading this forum for a while but have never posted. As a lover of gemstones, I''ve been more than impressed with the knowledge shared on this board and I''m hopeful you can lend some insight into a question I have. I''m going to buy a tanzanite and I''ve narrowed my selection to two stones but I''m torn over which one to choose.

The specifications are as follows:

Stone A: Much stronger purple tone.

Size: 3.49 ct (9.5 x 9.3 x 6.1)


Stone B: Much stronger blue tone.

Size: 3 ct (9.5 x 9.54 x 5.62)


I''ve attached a picture for further comparison. Stone B has what may appear to be an inclusion at the top but it is not...it''s part of the cutting. I do think Stone A is cut better. Any thoughts?

Thank you in advance.

 

[ger100]

Hi,

I don''t know beans about beans, but I like the dark blue one better, just for color. To my eye, the blue cutting looks nicer but not symmetric. But I''m only a newbie.

So, wait for a lot more comment! Oh, and if they''re from JTV, FORGET BOTH OF THEM! (see the string on JTV).

Ger

 

[maxspinel]

The vivid/intense blue to violet blue is considered to be the most desirable since it resembles the finest blue sapphire.The price of tanzanite was more reasonable a while back but nowadays, it is getting expensive. If prices continues to climb for tanzanite, I would seriously consider blue sapphire since it is a more durable gem.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Hi Wilson:

Like Maxspinel advises, Some of the finest Tanzanite looks like a high quality sapphire and the larger ones contain the beautiful rich depth in color. Premium stones will show a primary blue color with a secondary purple hue.


The color between the blue and purple is based on the ambient light in which it is being viewed. The depth of color has to do with the crystal formation of the stone and the required light to travel through the stone to produce those colors. For example small tanzanites will not produce the colors that a larger stone will give.

Personally, based on pictures only I like how stone B is presented in the photograph. You should "see" both gems in different lighting conditions to really make your decision, but nased on photo's alone I would choose the 2nd stone you posted.

 

[innerkitten]

I also prefer the bluer one. It's not just the color it's the sparkle.

 

[portoar]

I don''t know anything about tanzanite and don''t care for it as a stone, but I like the blue one better. Stone A looks muddy and dark to me, stone B looks like it has more life -- and I like the color better.

 

[Wilson]

Thanks for the feedback. I know that a really good tanzanite should look more like a sapphire in terms of color so I''m not sure why I was so torn between the two, to be honest. There was something that just drew me to Stone A. I, too, thought Stone A looked a little too dark and thought it resembled a quality African Amethyst more so than a quality Tanzanite. I also have a good sapphire (a 2.50 ct Kanchanaburi that I purchased years ago...when it was "easy" to find the larger/good quality stones from that mine.) Perhaps, I threw "A" in the mix so I would have a different look. But having a tanzanite look like an amethyst...well...that''s not really a good thing and I appreciate everyone getting me to that point.

Just to complicate things, I got word today from a friend who sells Tanzanite that he has a 4.5 carat trillion that I might be interested in purchasing. It''s a beautiful stone...very blue, almost velvety (if that makes sense) with some flashes of red but it is a little larger than I had been looking to get (it measures 10.2mm with a pavilion of 6.7). After reading everyone''s comments, Stone A is out of the mix and I''ll focus on "B" and compare it to the larger one I just saw today.

Thanks again for the feedback. It’s truly appreciated.

 

[conitta]

From the pictures I would go for B also.The blue is always better.But you can not see the sparkle and life in a picture, wish we could. Also, with a Sapphire you do not have the red flashes as you do in the Tanzanite.That is one thing that drew me to Tanzanite. I like both stones (blue Sapphire and Tanzanite) and they are very different in their own way.