TANZANITE  &  IOLITE (Looks like Tanzanite!)       Click here for Paradise Jewelry Home Page
                                           
 Click here to Check out the Super Jewelry Deals page!               Search This Site!       Check out the Super Deals Page - 50% off & Dropping!

Tanzanite is the mineral Zoisite.  Discovered in 1969 ago in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa (in Tanzania), this exciting violet gem has become VERY popular.  Tanzanite is a tri-chroic gem, meaning that it has 3 colors.  When mined it is violet, blue, and brown, depending on the viewing axis (direction of viewing).  The rough is heated which changes the brown to blue, so you will see gems with either a predominantly blue or violet color depending on the direction of cutting.

Tanzanite has just been designated by the AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) as an alternate birth stone for December!

You may hear that Tanzanite is mined out and supply is nearly gone.  Don't believe it!  It's simply a sales pitch.  Yes, some of the mines were closed a couple of years ago due to flooding.  They have been re-opened.  Supply isn't overwhelming, but I can still get all you want.  Tanzanite is a pricey gem, but I get you the best prices available.  I also shop carefully to get gems with intense color even in the smaller sizes.

The largest Tanzanite in the world weighs 242 carats!

IOLITE  is the mineral Cordierite.  Found mostly in India and Sri Lanka it was known for centuries as Water Sapphire because it was often found in a lighter color of sapphire blue.  Since the discovery and subsequent immense popularity of Tanzanite, Iolite is now often called "poor man's Tanzanite".

Order  Disclosure
Return To Main Menu
Paradise Jewelry
The Friendliest Store In The World!
5455 Airport Rd. North
Naples, FL 34109
Toll Free 877-591-2645
Copyright 2000, 2001
E-mail me at