TANZANITE ( A MINERAL), FIRST FOUND IN TANZANIA,HENCE "TANZANITE" BY BARON VON ZOIS,AND LABELED ZOISITE.IT HAS ALSO BEEN FOUND IN AUSTRIA,AUSTRALIA,ITALY,NORWAY,AND NORTH CAROLINA,U.S.A.- A STONE THAT IS REPORTED ,THAT TIFFANY HAD THE  RIGHTS TO FROM THE 60'S FOR MANY YEARS. A BEAUTIFUL PUPLE BLUE STONE,BIRTHSTONE FOR DEC.,GORGEOUS!,YOU WANT TO BUY A TANZANITE RING? BE VERY CAREFUL,YOU MAY NOT GET WHAT YOU THINK YOU WILL.

TANZANITE,DISCOVERED IN TANZANIA,SEVERAL YRS. AGO SOLD MOSTLY BY TIFFANY AND THEIR SUB JEWELERS,LATERSOLD BY OTERS SOMEWHAT REASONABLE,,THEN WAS MADE BIRTHSTONE FOR DEC.,OVERTAKING BLUE TOPAZ,AND EASIER TO GET,DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO BE HEAT TREATED FOR ONE YEAR LIKE LONDON BLUE TOPAZ DID TO GET THE COLOR.,THE MOST POPULAR SHADE.

SO NOW(AFTER TIFFANY HAD THEIR FILL) WE HAD  ALL THE BIG BUYERS IN TANZANIA BUYING UP TONS OF THE STONE AND SELLING LIKE CRAZY(FOR WHAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY LEFT AFTER BUYERS FOR TIFFANY'S BOUGHT THEIR SHARE),TILL THERE IS LITTLE LEFT,AND THE MINES ARE REPORTED TO BE CLOSING UP.

THE ONLY THING COMING OUT OF THE MINES NOW IS NOT DARK BLUE OR PURPLE BUT A PALE LILAC OR LIGHT BLUE EVEN LESS DESIRABLE THAN SWISS BLUE TOPAZ.,DOES NOT EVEN RESEMBLE TANZANITE,AND THE PRICE FOR THIS COLORLESS STONE IS AS HIGH ALMOST AS THE GOOD STUFF.

YOU USE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A JEWELER AND BUY A BEAUTIFUL DARK TANZANITE IN 14K GOLD FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS,TODAY IN 2006 ,IF YOU GET 1 CARAT TANZANITE (A SMALL STONE) IN 14K GOLD YOU ARE LOOKING AT $2500 PLUS.!! I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN IT SELL FOR $5.000-CHECK OUT AMAZON AND SEE WHAT THEY ASK,(AMAZING)-AND GO TO A JEWELER AND CHECK THEM OUT-!UNBELIEVABLE.!!!

DONT BE FOOLED,(EVEN I HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY CERTAIN SELLERS ON EBAY) ADVERTIZING TANZANITE,AND SHOWING A DARK STONE,ONLY TO FIND ,IT'S THE DRAB,LIGHT,COLORLESS CRAP THAT NO ONE WANTS.I PERSONALLY DOLED OUT $75.00 ON A SMALL ADVERTIZED TANZANITE RING ADVERTIZED DARK,AND DID QUESTION THE SELLER,AND TRUSTED THE SELLER TO BE STUCK WITH SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE SWISS TOPAZ AND WORTH LESS.COLORLESS TANZANITE IS NOT WORTH MUCH,SO DONT PUT OUT YOUR MONEY.

IF YOU REALLY WANT A DARK TANZANITE RING,GO TO A JEWELER ,IF YOU WANT TO BUY OR HAVE ONE MADE,BE SURE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT SAYS ,YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE IT AND A RIGHT TO REJECT IT IF YOU DONT LIKE IT,DONT TAKE A SALES PERSON'S WORD,THAT IT IS REAL,DARK,GOOD,ETC.

BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN BIDDING ON TANZANITE,LIKE I SAID THE MINES ARE ALMOST CLOSED UP,AND IF YOU SEE A DARK STONE ADVETIZED AND IT IS MORE THAN ONE CARAT AND LESS THAN $2000,YOU ARE PROBABLY GETTING "LAB CREATED TANZANITE."=DONT GET ME WRONG,I LOVE LAB CREATED STONES,SOMETIMES THEY SURPASS THE REAL,CAUSE THE REAL HAS FLAWS AND LAB CREATED DOESNT.I JUST DONT THINK IT'S RIGHT TO PAY "GENUINE STONE PRICE FOR LAB CREATED".FAIR IS FAIR.

IN FACT,UNLESS YOU HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO SPEND ,LIKE SAY,$ 15,000 ON A DECENT SIZE 5CT. STONE,YOUR BEST BET IS TO GO FOR A LAB CREATED ,WHERE YOU CAN GET A STONE THAT WILL PROBABLY BE CLOSE TO IDENTICAL FOR A PRICE OF ABOUT $39.00 IF IN SILVER AND AROUND $100.00 IN 10KGOLD.