Gem Focus September 2026: Tanzanite
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)Tanzanite is the blue/violet variety of the mineral zoisite. The gem is a relative “newcomer” to the world of gems, having been discovered in 1967 in Tanzania, for which it gained its name.
Zoisite is trichroic, meaning three different colors can be seen through three different viewing angles. This can make cutting one difficult and also means that the cutter can greatly influence what the final piece looks like depending on how it is oriented—tanzanite stones can be a violetish blue or even have a purplish final color depending on the cut.
The 40.58-carat “Stella” tanzanite from Jeffrey Hapeman at Earth’s Treasury won Honorable Mention
in the All Other Cut Gemstones category of the AGTA Spectrum Awards in 2025.
(Image courtesy of AGTA; Photo credit: Jeff Mason Photography)
Here are three things to know about tanzanite in the modern market:
- Zoisite is often heated to remove the brown component and produce a stronger blue-violet component. The more saturated the latter, the higher the price will be per carat. Unheated stones that are naturally blue are the most valuable in the market.
- Though tanzanite comes from a single source, pricing of the material has not increased in the market of late, at times even dipping due to certain economic and geopolitical issues. Tanzanite continues to be an affordable color option when compared to some of its blue counterparts, particularly sapphire.
- Zoisite comes in many other colors outside the blue/violet that allows for the label of tanzanite, including green, pink, yellow, brown, and gray. These unheated colors, sometimes referred to as fancy zoisite, are gaining in popularity from a small base among independent designers for buyers who are looking for unenhanced material and unique options.
To see full tanzanite wholesale pricing charts, subscribe to the GemGuide now.
Enjoy more about tanzanite and tanzanite jewelry with these links.
LMHC Harmonizes on Color Stability, Cobalt Spinel, Tanzanite, Jade (GemGuide, subscription required)
The Best 2026 Met Gala Jewelry, From a 550-Carat Tanzanite to Beyoncé’s Crown (Vogue)
7 Of the World’s Most Talked-About Tanzanites (Galerie)