How rare is Pink Tanzanite (Zoisite)

[chictomato]

Hi there I saw this Pink Tanzanite (Zoisite) being describe as very rare and its considered as 'collector stone'. So what exactly defines 'collector stone'? And just how rare is pink Zoisite? An also what should the ideal color be? Is this a good example? or is this tgt TIA!

 

[ma re]

I don''t have answers to all of your questions, but I can tell you that generally speaking, collector stones are those that are not abundant enough to be widely marketed (advertised). You will see them in some (more or less) specialized places being sold every now and then, but due to rarity you''ll probably never see them at B&M stores or shopping networks. I also heard pink zoisite is rare, but I don''t know what the best color would be. Probably as intense as possible, with a great coverage all over the stone and the one that looks nice even without any treatments - so pretty much what stands for every other stone. But I really don''t know what the tonal range is for pink zoisite i.e. do they only come in lighter shades or can be more vivid and intense as well.

 

[LD]

Pink Zoisite is material that has come out of the ground that way and hasn't been heat treated by man. Most Tanzanite (Zoisite) comes out of the ground a brown colour and is then heated to give it the beautiful blue. However, there are pockets of it that come out of the ground in pink, yellow, orange, green etc., and I would suspect (although this is just my theory) that occurs when there has been some form of heat to that part of the ground and the gem has started the cooking process (hope that makes sense).

I have pink, yellow, green and bi-coloured Tanzanite. How "rare" are they? Well, they're definitely not as easy to come by as the normal blue Tanzanite. Are they collectors gems? That's difficult to answer really but I would say they are definitely a good addition to a collection.

Just as an aside, the pink is not like a pink of say Kunzite or Topaz - it's typically more blue/pink, violet/pink or orange/pink. I most definitely prefer the one from John.

 

[RockHugger]

I dont know how ''rare'' it is, but it isnt as easy to find, and is cool to have in a collection. I have a pink and green one here. They are very small (about .2cts). The pics dont show the color perfectly. The pink is more baby pink, and the green is more grass green.
My pink has NO blue or purple to it (the color you see is a reflection from the green).

 

[RockHugger]

Ooops, heres the pic.

 

[T L]

Date: 2/10/2010 2:14:07 AM
Author:chictomato
Hi there I saw this Pink Tanzanite (Zoisite) being describe as very rare and its considered as 'collector stone'. So what exactly defines 'collector stone'? And just how rare is pink Zoisite? An also what should the ideal color be? Is this a good example? or is this tgt TIA!

Personally,
I don't care for that shade of pink at all. It looks brownish orangey pink. Too much brown for my taste.

Did you check Swala, they have tons of various colors of Zoisite. Truth be told, I totally avoid Zoisite because it's such a brittle stone, but if you want one for your collection, check them out.

 

[LD]

Chic - here are mine (all above 1ct). If you're looking for a pink, go for the strongest colour you can find. The pink I have was graded as orangeyPink.

Keep an eye on www.lapigems.com They don't have any pink at the moment but they cut their own rough and the green and pink I have are both from them.

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 2/10/2010 3:22:24 AM
Author: ma re
I don''t have answers to all of your questions, but I can tell you that generally speaking, collector stones are those that are not abundant enough to be widely marketed (advertised). You will see them in some (more or less) specialized places being sold every now and then, but due to rarity you''ll probably never see them at B&M stores or shopping networks. I also heard pink zoisite is rare, but I don''t know what the best color would be. Probably as intense as possible, with a great coverage all over the stone and the one that looks nice even without any treatments - so pretty much what stands for every other stone. But I really don''t know what the tonal range is for pink zoisite i.e. do they only come in lighter shades or can be more vivid and intense as well.

I always thought that stones that were beautiful but unfit for jewelry (e.g. sphalerite) were also called collector stones.

 

[pregcurious]

Coincidently, I bumped into the answer to this question on "Ask Barry".

 

[chictomato]

Thank all for the input! I thought it was an interesting, different color will make a good addition to my little collection. But after reading up and thinking through, I had decided not to look for one as its brittleness just reminded me of the hard time I been through to set my peridot

 

[ma re]

Date: 2/10/2010 5:38:25 PM
Author: crasru

I always thought that stones that were beautiful but unfit for jewelry (e.g. sphalerite) were also called collector stones.

True, I really forgot about that aspect.

 

[Swala Gem Traders]

Non blue zoisites should be called "colored zoisites" or "fancy zoisites" rather than "pink tanzanite" as tanzanite refers to the blue zoisite

Orange and pink zoisites are among the rarest of colored zoisites; green and yellow for instance are much more common.

Brown zoisites are the other hand have nothing to do with either orange or pink. Many future tanzanites were brown zoisites before being heated.

The one I see here - if the color on my screen is close to the reality - is a nice and rare gem. I have no idea of the weight and price but the gem is very well cut and the color is all but common.

 

[chictomato]

Date: 2/11/2010 4:00:37 AM
Author: Swala
Non blue zoisites should be called ''colored zoisites'' or ''fancy zoisites'' rather than ''pink tanzanite'' as tanzanite refers to the blue zoisite


Orange and pink zoisites are among the rarest of colored zoisites; green and yellow for instance are much more common.


Brown zoisites are the other hand have nothing to do with either orange or pink. Many future tanzanites were brown zoisites before being heated.


The one I see here - if the color on my screen is close to the reality - is a nice and rare gem. I have no idea of the weight and price but the gem is very well cut and the color is all but common.

Tks to all the replies! Fyi this is from John,Weight: 0.71 cts.
Clarity: VS
Dimensions: 6.62 x 5.30 x 3.34mm
Design: Oval
Origin: Tanzania

 

[Kim Bruun]

Date: 2/10/2010 7:46:44 PM
Author: chictomato
Thank all for the input! I thought it was an interesting, different color will make a good addition to my little collection. But after reading up and thinking through, I had decided not to look for one as its brittleness just reminded me of the hard time I been through to set my peridot

I wouldn''t let the brittleness put me off tanzanite in general. My mother has a ring with a tanzanite that she wears on special occasions only, and after more than 15 years, it still doesn''t have a single mark on it (if it were me, though, I wouldn''t dare having a tanzanite set in a ring). Tanzanites, in the range of blue, violet, and lavender, can be spectacular gems, fiery and glowing thanks to their dispersion and level of colour saturation - as a collector, I wouldn''t want to be without at least one (luckily, I have two trillions and several raw crystals).

That said, the stone at the top of the page seems to have a brownish tone to it that I personally consider a curiosity rather than a thing of beauty. I''ve never seen a pink tanzanite in person, and the pics I have seen have given me the impression that tanzanite doesn''t do pink as well as tourmaline, spinel, and sapphire.

 

[chictomato]

Date: 2/11/2010 4:00:37 AM
Author: Swala
Non blue zoisites should be called ''colored zoisites'' or ''fancy zoisites'' rather than ''pink tanzanite'' as tanzanite refers to the blue zoisite


Orange and pink zoisites are among the rarest of colored zoisites; green and yellow for instance are much more common.


Brown zoisites are the other hand have nothing to do with either orange or pink. Many future tanzanites were brown zoisites before being heated.


The one I see here - if the color on my screen is close to the reality - is a nice and rare gem. I have no idea of the weight and price but the gem is very well cut and the color is all but common.

Hi Swala is the pink Zoisite known as Thulite? tks

 

[Kim Bruun]

Thulite, to the best of my knowledge, refers to the opaque and massive pink form of zoisite.

 

[Swala Gem Traders]

Kim is correct

 

[chrono]

Chic,
Here’s a simple question to ask yourself: are you buying it to collect as something uncommon, or are you buying for the colour? Your answer to both can be in agreement, disagreement or a combination of yes/no. Colour wise, it shows a strong brown undertone. That said, it is a nicely coloured for a pink zeosite since they are usually not very pink.