QuestionHello, Lisa! I'm thinking of purchasing some tanzanite before the price really shoots throught the roof, and I found a person who is selling this beautiful 10K white gold ring with a center tanzanite stone of just under 2 cts. This stone is a nice, rich blue, but I noticed that, in any light, there are no nice red flashes coming from the stone and that the "glow" seems a bit flat. I don't really know if this is a sign of a fake, but I recently saw, in person, a very nice 15 ct genuine trillion-cut tanzanite, and it was full of beautiful red flashes. Could the lack of flashes mean it's a fake (simulant), or could the smaller size diminish the flash? Thanks for your time!
AnswerHello Karen,
When choosing a Tanzanite ring with a center stone of almost two carats, I would suggest making sure you buy it from a reputable source and get a certificate or guarantee with your stone. If you are unsure of the source, I would get the ring with a no questions, no penalties return policy and give yourself time to get it checked by a gemologist.
I can't debate what you saw in person as I did not see the stone with "red flashes", but Tanzanite is a trichroic stone. This means that three colors are present in the stone. It of course contains the two colors you see with the naked eye of blue and purple, and also still contains a third color of golden-reddish brown, which is the color of the rough before heating. The third color is seen with the use of gemological equipment.
As Tanzanite doesn't contain red, any red flashes would likely be from lighting. Although I have heard it said on television and other locations, I have not seen Tanzanite exhibit red flashes and that would not be a factor in deciding if it were a simulant.
I looked at a lot of top quality Tanzanite at the Tucson gem show in February, and made some purchases for my company, and never once did I see any red flashes.
Lisa
