Tanzanite
In 2002, AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) added the Tanzanite to the ist of Birthstones for December.
Tanzanite is a precious stone that has recently entered the market. Tiffany & Co was the first company to, thanks to a great marketing campaign, introduce it to the international market.
The most important gemological variety of Zoisite is the Tanzanite. It owes this name to its place of origin, Tanzania, still the place of the only deposits found.
Because it is only mined in a particular area of Tanzania, deposits are likely to be depleted within a few decades.
The Tanzanite is usually a violet color with brown tones. To avoid these brownish tones, the Tanzanite is generally treated, achieving much more intense blue-violet colors.
Turquoise
Turquoise is the birthstone for December as well as for 11th anniversary wedding anniversaries. It is associated with good luck.
It was a stone that was greatly appreciated by the ancient civilizations of Mexico.
Turquoise has been used as an ornamental gemstone since ancient times. It was already known in 3000 B.C. and possibly before the first dynasty in ancient Egypt.
The term turquoise, used since antiquity, has an unknown origin. One theory suggests that it is derived from the ancient French “tourques” which meant “stone of Turkey”, not because the gem came from this country, but because the Persian Turquoise, and perhaps the one from the Sinai peninsula, reached Europe viaTurkey.
Turquoise is a phosphate hydrated aluminum and copper, which has a blue or blue-green color, and may present black streaks (matrix) that are remnants of the parent rock.
Zircon
In 1952, the Jewelers of America organisation added the Zircon to the list of birthstones for the month of December. It is believed that the Zircon attracts prosperity.
The name for the Zircon stone seems to derive from the word “zargoon” which in Arabic means “vermilion” (cinnabar powder used to obtain deep red paint) and in Persian means “golden color”.
In the 18th century, the colorless zircons found in Matara (Sri Lanka) were erroneously considered to be diamonds of low quality and denominated “Matara diamonds.”
