Turquoise, Zircon, and Tanzanite: December “Blues” You’ll Love

It’ll be a Blue Christmas…but in a good way. December has three luscious birthstones, all vibrant blue: zircon (traditional), turquoise, and tanzanite. If you’re in snowy areas, these stones reflect the icy blue tinge of snow and winter sky. If you’re a snowbird, these stones shine with the depths of the ocean and sunny sky.

We’ve already examined turquoise, so let’s take a look at zircon and tanzanite.

Zircon

Don’t confuse this with cubic zirconia, a man-made, inexpensive diamond-like jewel. Zircon is an ancient gemstone, found in a rainbow of colors. Some things to know about zircons:

• Color: While zircon can be found in a range of colors, blue is the most popular shade, ranging from light to a bright, saturated hue.
• Hardness: It’s a relatively hard stone (7.5 on the Mohs scale), but while a zircon can resemble a diamond, it’s not as hard as one so it can chip.
• Cleaning: It’s best to use a soft brush and warm, soapy water. Be careful about ultrasonic cleaners or harsh chemicals.
• Treatments: Most zircons are heat treated to create the color of choice; ironically, the gem’s color can darken and dull f it’s exposed to intense sunlight.
• Healing powers: Medieval royalty believed it could lull the wearer into a deep sleep and scare off evil spirits. Crystal healers believe it can also help you to let go of emotional pain, sadness and fear.

Tanzanite

While the zircon is centuries old, tanzanite is a newbie; it was discovered (not surprisingly) in Tanzania in 1967. Tiffany’s thrust it into the spotlight in 1968 with a major marketing campaign and it became so popular that its name, tanzanite, became the industry standard.

• Color: As the GIA says, “(It’s) often described as “velvety,” mostly because of its deep and saturated color, which ranges from a pure rich blue to violet, with the blue considered most valuable.
• Hardness: It’s relatively soft (around 6 on the Mohs scale) Because of this, it’s more often found in necklaces and earrings than in rings.
• Cleaning: Never put your tanzanite jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner—the vibrations can damage the stone. Use warm, soapy water to clean it.
• Treatments: Tanzanite stones are almost always heat-treated. In its natural form, the stone can have a dullish-grey or brown color, but the heat can turn it to violet.
• Healing powers: Crystal healers believe that this gemstone can help the wearer to be optimistic and inspired, helping them to move forward.

Hope your December is a luminous, velvety blue—with your choice of birthstones (or even all three!). And as you buy jewelry now or throughout the holiday season, make sure to get it appraised. Call me at (617) 304-0174 or by email at aimee@ambappraisal.com.

Brilliantly yours, Aimee