Into the blue: why brands from Dior to Chaumet and Giorgio B are falling for tanzanite, a gemstone from the hills of Mount Kilimanjaro first made famous by Tiffany & Co. in the 60s
deep blue gemstone is increasingly captivating jewellery designers. Tanzanite was first discovered in 1967 by Maasai herders in Tanzania's Merelani Hills near Mount Kilimanjaro and is still the world's only known source, meaning the stone remains very rare.
Tanzanite was given its name by
Tiffany & Co. – the first jeweller to market it – and the brand commanded a monopoly on the stone until the 1980s. Now, this vivid, blue-violet hued gem is animating collections from Dior to Chaumet,
Pomellato to Mouawad, and even those of avant-garde creators Hemmerle and Giorgio B.
Mouawad's Venus bangle features a tanzanite and pearl on a band of diamond-set white gold. Photo: Handout
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Part of its allure is its more affordable price compared to sapphire, but the clarity and large carat sizes in which the stones are available add to their appeal. The price of unheated Kashmir and Sri Lankan sapphires is rising inexorably. A polished royal blue sapphire from Sri Lanka costs just under US$5,000 per carat, whereas a loose stone or a Kashmiri gem are too rare to consider for most. A necklace set with a lot of sapphires has suddenly become a very expensive item – and jewellers are rethinking their options.
Dior's new high jewellery collection, Diorexquis, features a tanzanite parure with a 7.58-carat oval-cut tanzanite centre stone on a floral necklace and 4.84-carat tanzanite ring. There are also several voluminous tanzanite rings in Chaumet's high jewellery range; Pomellato has added it to their Nudo collection; and Mouawad's Venus collection pairs the stone with a pearl on a bangle, ring and earrings.
Hemmerle earrings featuring tanzanite set in amaranth wood and anodised aluminium. Photo: Handout
Meanwhile, Tanzanite's electrifying hue and volume brings a fresh energy to Munich-based Hemmerle's time-honoured metalwork, mounted in tonally complementary amaranth wood and anodised aluminium earrings for a very contemporary look. 'High quality tanzanite typically offers excellent clarity, enabling bold cuts that showcase its depth of colour,' explains Yasmin Hemmerle, who co-designs the collection with her husband Christian. 'Beyond its physical beauty, tanzanite carries a narrative of discovery, wonder and emotional resonance that aligns with Hemmerle's ethos of crafting intimate and contemporary heirlooms to be enjoyed every day.'
After setting a 19.52 carat tanzanite in a curvaceous bombé ring last year, Giorgio Bulgari – founder of Geneva's Giorgio B and scion of the Bulgari jewellery family – became so bewitched by the stone's midnight blue colour that he spent months trying to create the perfect blue in titanium to match the gem. 'I couldn't find a metal to set it in that would look good, there was too much of a contrast, and then I started anodising titanium until I found a colour that would match the tanzanite tone on tone,' he says. This one-of-a-kind ring sparked an equally rare addition to Giorgio B's Palma collection, a show-stopping ring of blue titanium set with an emerald cut tanzanite that debuts this month.
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