Need tanzanite advice, please

[SparkliesLuver]

Hi, everyone. I'm not the biggest fan of purple, but I came across this large, 10mm tanzanite the other day and it made me pause. It's blue. It's vivid blue. It almost reminded me of hauyne or sapphire (but I couldn't afford a sapphire like this!). If you recognize the vendor, please do not mention the name.

I've read a bit about the coating of tanzanite lately, and I know it's almost always heated, but what else should I know if I consider this purchase? I also know it's a brittle stone and heat-sensitive, so it would strictly be an occasional wear right hand ring.

Thank you!

 

[chrono]

Tanzanite is pleochroic so it changes colour when you view it from different angles/axis, so it won't look blue all the time. Exceptional stones will be an intense violetish blue with red flashes of pleochroic color coming from within the stone. You already know about the extreme care required so that's good. Also make sure the setter/bench knows the extreme care needed when setting it.

 

[T L]

Don't ever put it in an ultrasonic cleaner as it will shatter. Even dust in some cloths will scratch it, so be careful, and never ever look at it with a loupe after wearing it for some time. You'll be devastated.

Ammonia based cleaners also affect them, so I'm not exactly sure how you can clean these gems. A lot of soap contains ammonia too, like dish soap.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Thank you Chrono and TL. I'll have to give it a bit more thought as I'm currently saving for two other things. Must prioritize! But the color, cut and size made me stop in my tracks.

So how would you clean it? Maybe buy a special kind of soap?

 

[T L]

Thank you Chrono and TL. I'll have to give it a bit more thought as I'm currently saving for two other things. Must prioritize! But the color, cut and size made me stop in my tracks.

So how would you clean it? Maybe buy a special kind of soap?

I don't know, and even if you used soap, I wouldn't clean it with a toothbrush.

I suppose a tanzanite owner/expert can give better advise on this than I can.

It's a beautiful color though. I wish they could do some sort of durability treatment on beautiful gems like this. Now that is one kind of gem treatment I would be in favor of, as long as it didn't hamper the beauty or other natural characteristics of the stone. I would love to wear things like sphalerite, tanzanite, cerrusite, sphene, on a regular daily basis.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Hm. Okay. Food for thought.

I know. I love that color! I'd also be in favor of that type of treatment, especially under the same condition of it not harming the beauty or natural characteristics. This is the only sapphire I've come across that sort of reminds me of tanzanite, and I'm too afraid to ask Roger the price.

http://www.spectralgems.net/sapphire/sapphirebluesqcu1_04ct_9097b/#main

ETA: I did, however, ask him the price on the huuuuuge one he now has in stock on behalf of a friend.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

A quick thank you to the person who contacted Roger about the sapphire I linked to.

 

[sparkleismyfavcolor]

That is a gorgeous tanzanite! That color! Wow. I've been obsessed with tanzanite lately and have a couple of them on the way to see in hand.
I'll be interested to hear more tanzanite tips also.

An interesting aside - check out this link on Ebay I happened to run across in my search:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141564563248?autorefresh=true

It appears this unscrupulous seller is using the reputable vendor's photo to represent their totally different stone. The listing has now ended, but if you scrolll down you can see the specs are completely different!
I would love to contact them and call them on it.
It's almost like someone getting on a dating website and using someone else's picture!

Good luck with whatever beautiful blue you choose SparkliesLuver!

 

[minousbijoux]

That is a gorgeous tanzanite! That color! Wow. I've been obsessed with tanzanite lately and have a couple of them on the way to see in hand.
I'll be interested to hear more tanzanite tips also.

An interesting aside - check out this link on Ebay I happened to run across in my search:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141564563248?autorefresh=true

It appears this unscrupulous seller is using the reputable vendor's photo to represent their totally different stone. The listing has now ended, but if you scrolll down you can see the specs are completely different!
I would love to contact them and call them on it.
It's almost like someone getting on a dating website and using someone else's picture!

Good luck with whatever beautiful blue you choose SparkliesLuver!

I honestly don't understand how ebay allows that. I guess its just too big a marketplace for them to be able to patrol it all (I'm not excusing it, just trying to understand it).

 

[makeable]

I'm also curious about how to clean tanzanite.

There is a comment in this thread that says repeated contact with water can harm tanzanite and cause cloudiness.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tanzanite-safe-in-a-safe.158573/

I'm far from being a gem expert but perhaps it was the mineral content in the water left as a dried deposit on its surface that may have damaged the stone. I don't know

 

[SparkliesLuver]

That is a gorgeous tanzanite! That color! Wow. I've been obsessed with tanzanite lately and have a couple of them on the way to see in hand.
I'll be interested to hear more tanzanite tips also.

An interesting aside - check out this link on Ebay I happened to run across in my search:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141564563248?autorefresh=true

It appears this unscrupulous seller is using the reputable vendor's photo to represent their totally different stone. The listing has now ended, but if you scrolll down you can see the specs are completely different!
I would love to contact them and call them on it.
It's almost like someone getting on a dating website and using someone else's picture!

Good luck with whatever beautiful blue you choose SparkliesLuver!

Oh, I can't wait to see your hand shots (of the ones on their way)! By the way, I know, that color is just ...

Wow! That's crazy! That is indeed the same picture but not the same stone. Makes me sick and sad at the same time.

Thank you very much, sparkleismyfavcolor! I haven't taken the plunge yet. I'm debating whether or not I should save for awhile (ahem, years) and see if I could find a sapphire of that color. I baby my jewelry but I don't know how "ok" I'd be with that soft of a stone. That's pretty crazy, makeable. Thank you for sharing!

 

[chrono]

I don't know of any special soap that is commonly used. Dawn seems to be popular and safe.

 

[makeable]

I don't know of any special soap that is commonly used. Dawn seems to be popular and safe.

TY Chrono.

 

[T L]

I don't know of any special soap that is commonly used. Dawn seems to be popular and safe.

Dawn has ammonia in it I believe. Maybe ivory soap????

 

[LD]

I'm also curious about how to clean tanzanite.

There is a comment in this thread that says repeated contact with water can harm tanzanite and cause cloudiness.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tanzanite-safe-in-a-safe.158573/

I'm far from being a gem expert but perhaps it was the mineral content in the water left as a dried deposit on its surface that may have damaged the stone. I don't know

I wrote that post.

When I first bought Tanzanite (many years ago), I wore one ring every day, all day and regularly got my hands in water. I didn't think twice about it. Over time, the Tanzanite started to look cloudy. I was told that it was water damage that had impregnated the stone through fissures - and of course any chemicals I was using ie washing up liquid, soap etc., would have caused the cloudiness.

In terms of how to clean a Tanzanite I would use a baby's toothbrush with a small amount of liquid soap and then I would rinse with clean water and make sure I dried the stone with a lint free cloth. I've cleaned all of my Tanzanites like this since and have not had a problem with any of them.

One more thing - be aware of thermal shock with Tanzanites. They hate going from hot to cold quickly.

Although it's a relatively soft stone, in the right setting and with care it's not an every day ring but you could certainly wear it often.

 

[makeable]

Thank you for coming back to reply LD and sharing your experience. Good to know your haven't had any issues since then. I will follow your cleaning protocol from now on. Are you using dish soap or liquid hand soap? Any brand?

 

[chrono]

I don't know of any special soap that is commonly used. Dawn seems to be popular and safe.

Dawn has ammonia in it I believe. Maybe ivory soap????

Dawn is ammonia free.
http://www.target.com/p/dawn-ultra-original-scent-liquid-dish-soap-24-oz/-/A-13044222

 

[PrecisionGem]

I use rubbing alcohol to clean all the stones after cutting. I can't image water damaging a tanzanite, as the stone is contantly in contact with water throughout the cutting process.