This Tanzanite Buyer's Guide is the authoritative source of information on buying tanzanite. Tanzanite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, found only at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania , East Africa .
After reading this guide, you will be able to choose the tanzanite that is best for you, based on the 5 C's criteria. These guidelines are upheld by the Tanzanite Foundation, an industry-supported organization dedicated to protecting tanzanite's integrity.
Tanzanite is a rare and precious investment. We advise that you read this guide before making your tanzanite purchase.
TANZANITE QUALITY SCALE
This Guide is based on the Tanzanite Foundation's Tanzanite Quality Scale, an internationally recognized system for grading and valuing tanzanite.
Note: in the rare circumstance that intensity of color exceeds the Exceptional grade, it will be graded Exceptional.
BUYING TANZANITE : THE 4 C'S
In a similar way to diamonds, tanzanite is graded according to the 4C's. The 4 C's stand for : Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat weight. The higher the combination of these characteristics, the more rare and valuable the stone. Understanding and check all 4 C's before purchasing your tanzanite.
COLOR
The depth of colour ranges from Vivid to Pale with a "B" or "V" preceeding to indicate predominance of blue or violet hue's.
CLARITY
Clarity refers to any natural flaws or inclusions in a tanzanite. Tanzanite ranges from Internally Flawless to Heavily Included.
CUT
Cut refers to the shape, facets and proportion of a tanzanite. A 'fine' cut ensures that the stone's facets reflect light to create maximum brilliance.
CARAT
Carat refers to the term used to measure a tanzanite's weight. One carat has 100 points and weighs 1/5 of a gram.
CONFIDENCE There is a fifth C, which stands for confidence. The 5th C is applicable to tanzanite which is accompanied by the Mark of Rarity. The Mark of Rarity is the icon of the Tanzanite Foundation and stands for the quality, rarity and distinction of your tanzanite purchase. The Tanzanite Foundation is dedicated to community upliftment projects in Tanzania.
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