Every stone in The Vault is graded by our gemologists on four qualities — colour, clarity, cut and carat — the same language used at the mine, at the cutting bench and on your certificate. Here is how to read them, and where this piece sits.
This piece · graded by our gemologists
Colour
Blue-violet · Moderate bVM
Clarity
Small inclusion SI
Carat
0.6 ct
Metal
Silver 925
01Colour
LightModerateIntenseVividExceptional
The first thing you see, and the quality that matters most. Tanzanite runs from soft lavender to a deep, velvety violet-blue; the richer and more evenly saturated the colour, the rarer the stone. Our gemologists grade it by hue — blue-violet (bV) or violet-blue (vB) — and by saturation, from Light to Exceptional. Tanzanite is trichroic — it shows blue, violet and a flash of burgundy depending on the angle — and almost all of it is gently heated to bring out its blue: a standard, permanent treatment, always disclosed.
Our gemologists grade clarity in three steps: Internally Flawless — nothing to find even under 10× magnification; Small inclusion — a trace only a loupe reveals; Medium inclusion — a natural feature you may find with the naked eye, in a stone chosen for its colour. Most Tanzanite is clean to the eye, so a stone free of visible inclusions is the expectation rather than the exception.
This piece: Small inclusionSI
03Cut
CushionOvalTrillionRound
Cut decides how much light comes back to you. Cushions and ovals hold colour; trillions and rounds add sparkle. Because the stone is trichroic, the cutter must choose which colour faces up — blue or violet — and will often give up weight to reach the finest hue.
04Carat
1 ct3 ct5 ct10 ct
Tanzanite’s colour deepens with size: stones above about five carats show the most saturated blues, and large, vividly coloured stones are the rarest of all. Weight alone never decides value — a smaller stone of exceptional colour outranks a larger, paler one.
This piece: 0.6 ct
Details of the stone
Origin
Merelani Hills, TanzaniaThe only source on Earth — 56 km from the Centre.
Discovered
1967A young gemstone, a thousand times rarer than diamond.
Species
ZoisiteThe blue-violet variety of the mineral zoisite.
Hardness
6 – 7 MohsIdeal for pendants and earrings; rings deserve gentle wear.
Birthstone
DecemberAdded to the official birthstone list in 2002.
Treatment
HeatedStandard for Tanzanite, stable and permanent.
Certification
CertifiedEvery stone graded and certified by our gemologists.
Care
Warm water & a soft clothNever ultrasonic or steam cleaners; avoid sudden heat.