Did you know that a diamond is not the rarest of gemstones? One of the gemstones that rarer than a diamond is the Tanzanite, and like the other important gemstones, the tanzanite is quite stunning, and it’s one of the valuable gemstones around.
But is the tanzanite more valuable than the diamonds?
Keep reading to learn more about the tanzanite, its value, and how it compares to the diamond.
What is tanzanite, and how much is it worth?
The tanzanite is an intense violet-blue gemstone with beautiful hues that easily rival the feature of the finest of sapphires but at only a fraction of the value/ cost of the sapphires. It is, however, rarer the sapphires and the diamond.
So, what is it?
Occurring in a small area in Tanzania, the tanzanite is a type of zoisite, and it’s become quite prominent in jewelry. The tanzanite was discovered in 1967, and it rose to popularity quickly, in part because of the aggressive marketing efforts by the leading jewelry company, Tiffany & Co.
What stands out from this stone is the fact it shows a rather strong pleochroism, and it appears violet, blue, or in other cases, green-yellow to even brown. The apparent color of the diamond depends on your viewing angle. A majority of the gem cutters often orient the Tanzanite in a way that features more of the violet and blue hues. It’s also worth noting that most of the Tanzanite gemstones have to be heat-treated for that attractive blue tanzanite hue. The heat treatment is also important for the stabilization of the stone’s color and for the creation of more desirable color.
The tanzanite is, however, worth less than the diamonds. Although it doesn’t make sense to pay less for the tanzanite, considering its rarity in comparison to the diamond, the diamond prices are significantly higher than the tanzanite’s because the diamond prices are controlled. But the price control isn’t the only reason why the Tanzanite costs less than the Diamond.
There’s also the fact that the diamond is harder than the tanzanite. This doesn’t mean, however, that the tanzanite is too soft to be used in jewelry; it only means that the tanzanite doesn’t have the same level of hardness as the diamond.
That said, if you are to compare these two gemstones and compare them in terms of their value, the tanzanite is as much as 1000x more valuable than the diamond. And in terms of rarity, the tanzanite isn’t mined in very large quantities, as is the case of the tanzanite, or even the Emeralds, Rubies, and the Sapphires.
Also, the Tanzanite has only been used in jewelry for only 25 years, unlike the rest of the gemstones that have been mined and used in jewelry for at least 1000 years.
If you guys want to know: Is Tanzanite A Good Investment? You can click here to read!
So, how much is the Tanzanite?
With the Tanzanian government putting in place tough restrictions to stop the smuggling of the Tanzanite out of the areas of the country where the gemstone is mine, the cost of the tanzanite along with the high-quality materials produced in the company have since gone up.
But while the prices of the tanzanite are still high, there has been a price reduction of between 20 and 30% thanks to the pandemic. Today, you can find one-carat tanzanite for $500.
That said, it’s important to note that the price of the tanzanite gemstone depends on the color of the gemstone. The value of the gemstone is graded depending on the depth and the quality of the color. Tanzanite with exceptional color properties is graded an AAA+, AAA represents vivid color, AAA/AA is for tanzanite with intense color, while AA represents moderate color, and A is for the light color. And as expected, the prices go up from the AA-rated tanzanite to the AAA+ tanzanite gemstones.
The other important features that affect the value of the tanzanite include the stone’s cut and clarity.
Diamond market price
Whether you are just comparing gemstone prices or you’d like to buy the best of gemstones, say tanzanite or a diamond, knowing the estimated or even the actual market prices of the gemstones is important.
Researching the diamond market prices is also important because there are huge differences in diamond prices, with a diamond of the same size often have huge variations in the prices, variations that often run in thousands of dollars. So, if you are going to buy diamonds, you should have a keen understanding of the market prices and what different jewelers have to offer.
The market price of the diamonds also depends on whether you are looking at the natural, conflict-free diamonds or the lab-created diamonds. Then you have the matter of the 4Cs – the cut, clarity, color, and the carat.
Often times, a diamond in the G grade and one in the E grade, each with varying levels of clarity, for example, the VS1 and the VVS2 diamonds, these two diamonds will be priced differently, and the price difference between the two could be as much as $1,500 or even more. The certifications are also important, and if you are going to buy diamonds, it’s important to make sure that the diamond is certified by the AGS or GIA laboratories.
If, for example, you are looking at a 1 carat, round, brilliant-cut H color diamond with SI1 clarity and excellent GIA Cut grade, with no fluorescence, the average amount of money you’d pay for this diamond would be about $5500.
Essentially, the average prices for diamonds range from $1,500 to $16,000, depending on the cut, quality of the diamonds, color, etc., but only for a 1-carat diamond, and the prices will only go up with bigger sizes and quality features.
Does tanzanite increase in value?
Unlike the diamonds and other gemstones such as Tsavorite, the value or the prices of the tanzanite don’t increase in value or on the basis of different carat brackets.
Essentially, the value of the tanzanite is largely brought about by the rarity of the gemstone, as well as the fine clarity, color, and cutting grade that often result in a higher price.
Is tanzanite more valuable than a diamond?
Along with all the information shared by The Diamond Authority (TDA) on the value of the tanzanite and the diamond and how these two gemstones compare, it’s clear that the diamond is a lot more valuable than the tanzanite.
The primary reason for this is that the diamond is shinier, harder, and it also lasts significantly longer than the tanzanite.
So, in as much as the tanzanite is rarer than the diamond, it doesn’t match up to the diamond when it comes to its value. The tanzanite is beautiful, though, and it is not, in any way an inferior gemstone.
To put this into perspective and to understand just how the diamond is superior to the Tanzanite, diamond is up to 58 times harder than all other minerals on earth, and what really stands out from the other gemstones like sapphires and rubies is that they are formed out of the diamond crystals.
Also, a diamond is super hard, such that the only other material that can cut diamonds is other diamonds. And finally, the brilliance and the sparkle of the diamond is unmatched, with the blue of the tanzanite taking away most of its brilliance.
So, if you take into account all these features/ factors, it makes sense that the diamond is more valuable than the tanzanite.
Conclusion
Although these two make the most brilliant gemstones, the differences between the diamond and the tanzanite show you that a diamond is clearly more valuable than the Tanzanite.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.