Tanzanite

Watching a jewelry tv channel, the message from the presenter was " Tanz is
rare, buy now while you have the chance as mines are likely to be exhausted
in 9 to 10 years".
Whilst I would agree that it's both an attractive and expensive gem, if the
gem becomes extinct and is no longer marketed or advertised, won't the price
drop - as it fades from peoples memories? Investment piece or mueum piece?
Does anyone know of any other gem quality minerals, that have disapeared and
what was the affect on the value. TIA.
Bertie

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...
Watching a jewelry tv channel, the message from the presenter was " Tanz is
rare, buy now while you have the chance as mines are likely to be exhausted
in 9 to 10 years".
Whilst I would agree that it's both an attractive and expensive gem, if the
gem becomes extinct and is no longer marketed or advertised, won't the price
drop - as it fades from peoples memories? Investment piece or mueum piece?
Does anyone know of any other gem quality minerals, that have disapeared and
what was the affect on the value. TIA.
Bertie

--- I can't really answer this, but here's my oppinion; when they say that
mines will be exhausted in a few years, they're talking about currently
known localities. But, if you visit some "gemstone information" websites
(those that don't only sell gems, but can teach you something about them
too) like www.gemstone.org you'll see that new localities are being found
for various gemstones every now and then. So who says new tanzanite finding
sites won't appear, maybe even soon.
But, if it really becomes so rare that it can no longer be sold on tv
shopping channels, I believe two things can happen; it can become the "new"
red beryl or demantoid garnet with "drop your jaw prices", or the price
could really drop as you say "because of the lack of popularity", but
honestly I seriously doubt that will happen because of the gem's huge
current popularity. In 50 or a 100 years, people may even forget that there
was a gorgeous violet-blue gem, but any time soon...I don't think so. ---

On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 02:57:30 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "m4816k"
wrote:

--- I can't really answer this, but here's my oppinion; when they say that
mines will be exhausted in a few years, they're talking about currently
known localities. But, if you visit some "gemstone information" websites
(those that don't only sell gems, but can teach you something about them
too) like www.gemstone.org you'll see that new localities are being found
for various gemstones every now and then. So who says new tanzanite finding
sites won't appear, maybe even soon.

Tanzanite is somewhat unusual in this regard, since to date, it's been found in
only one very small geographic area. Note quite only one mine, but certainly
only one geologic formation, and a rather unusual and limited one at that. There
are very few gems that are found in only such limited localities, so whoknows
whether or not more will be found. But with that said, it should be pointed out
that Tanzanite has been mined in that area for quite some decades now, and the
mines, though not often producing the finest qualities that have come outat
some points in the past, are still producing nice stones. Between what has not
yet been mined, and what has already been mined, that's a rather large volume of
the stones that now exist or will exist. Just because a stone is mined, cut and
sold, does not permenantly remove it from the world. They come back intothe
market as used jewelry, old stock that didn't sell, and the like for sometime,
and if the price were to rise due to rarity, that would no doubt induce some of
them to come out of hiding again. You can see much the same situation with
Demantoid garnet. For many years, the only ones that made it to the market,
and there weren't many, came from antiques, and commanded very healthy prices
and demand. Since the Soviet Union's breakup, more have now made it to the
west, many from old stock that remained in Russia, and perhaps some from
reworking the old Ural mountain locations. So supply has improved. Prices have
not dropped much though, in response. Similarly, Tanzanite has enjoyed enough
popularity for enough decades as to have pretty much entered the realm offairly
well recognized gems. I doubt that it's mine finally running dry, if that
indeed happens at all, will cause it to quickly disappear into obscurity.
Peter

"Peter W.. Rowe wrote in message

Tanzanite is somewhat unusual in this regard, since to date, it's been
found in
only one very small geographic area. Note quite only one mine, but
certainly
only one geologic formation, and a rather unusual and limited one at that.

I wouldn't be at all suprised if a new deposit it found (coincidently) as
the old one dries up.
I think the industry has spent too much in promoting this one. Although it
is a fav of my wife, only small clusters affordable these days. If she wants
1.5 cts+, she'll have to setle for Iolite.
BD

"m4816k" wrote in message
"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
Does anyone know of any other gem quality minerals, that have disapeared and
what was the affect on the value. TIA.
Bertie

--- I can't really answer this, but here's my oppinion; when they say that
mines will be exhausted in a few years, they're talking about currently
known localities. But, if you visit some "gemstone information" websites
(those that don't only sell gems, but can teach you something about them
too) like www.gemstone.org you'll see that new localities are being found
for various gemstones every now and then. So who says new tanzanite finding
sites won't appear, maybe even soon.
But, if it really becomes so rare that it can no longer be sold on tv
shopping channels, I believe two things can happen; it can become the "new"
red beryl or demantoid garnet with "drop your jaw prices", or the price
could really drop as you say "because of the lack of popularity", but
honestly I seriously doubt that will happen because of the gem's huge
current popularity. In 50 or a 100 years, people may even forget that there
was a gorgeous violet-blue gem, but any time soon...I don't think so. ---

Thanks mk, in particular for the link to gemstones.org - now saved to favs.
It's interesting that the included Russian demantoid is more sought after,
than the clearer African.
The jewelry tv co, I mentioned above, does also have a gems auction site
http://www.gemstv.com/index.jsp shows demantoid available, but clusters of
2.5mm. When it's this small, it's hardly classed as 'collectable'.
BD

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 17:25:30 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Bertie Doe"
wrote:

It's interesting that the included Russian demantoid is more sought after,
than the clearer African.

It's one of those odd instances where a specific type of inclusion becomes, in
and of itself, a collectable valued thing. Not quite at the level of a good
insect in amber, but the classic "horsetail" inclusion found in many of the
classic old Russian demantoids is considered a desireable thing. And some folks
seem to think, rightly or wrongly, that the Russian ones have better color. I
think that's more imagination than consistant fact, but who knows.

Peter

On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 17:25:24 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Bertie Doe"
wrote:

I wouldn't be at all suprised if a new deposit it found (coincidently) as
the old one dries up.

I would. albeit pleasantly surprised. The specific geologic formation where
these are found is quite unusual. And the specific area where the Tanzanites
are mined has been rather heavily explored. Lots of holes in the ground.They
will, of course, continue to dig more until nothing more comes up, but it's
appearing more and more evident that current mining seems to be moving
increasingly away from that area of the formation that produced the best stones.
We're not just talking about some small pocket, but a whole, small, geoligic
feature. Seems to me that unless someone finds another similar formationwith
it's similarly unusual chemistry and geologic history, that it's unlikelywe'll
find a whole big new stash of the stones, at least not just so coincidentally
with the expiration of the current area. I'm just not that much of a cynic
perhaps, or perhaps I'm pretty sure that if they DID have such an area already
known, they'd not likely be holding it in reserve. But even with this, it's
fairly certain that there remains a still signfiicant amountl of materialin the
ground, and a good deal also, as unsold rough that may be stored in reserve
still.

By the way, your comment (regarding demantoids, I think, on rarity being equated
with no longer being sold on TV shopping channels just cracks me up. That
marketing avenue, fraught as it is with fraud, inept or inexact gemological
descriptions, and inflated appraisals, and much more, seems characterized not
so much by whether a stone is rare or commonplace, but rather whether the
sellers have a bunch of junk quality that they can pass off as being better than
it is. Tanzanite, for example, is more available on TV now than it used to be,
since more of what's now mined is less expensive, lower quality rough. Used to
be, there was more of the better stuff around, at higher prices, less of what
the TV folks can easily sell. Now, with a past history of finer quality stuff,
but a current supply of lower qualities, it's tailor made for them to protray as
more desireable than it is. These are the folks, remember, who took white
sapphire, an otherwise nondescript unattractive material formerly discarded by
miners as worthless junk, and turned it into a fad to be desired. It still
looks lifeless and nondescript, yet now, thanks to their efforts, you'll find
plenty of gem dealers who'll be happy, with a straight face, to describe one of
these glassy chunks of nothing as a nice fine gem quality white sapphire.
Perhaps I'm showing my age or something, but I can promise you I'm not buying
into it.

cheers

Peter

"Peter W.. Rowe," wrote in message
On Sun, 08 Jan 2006 17:25:24 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Bertie Doe"
wrote:

I wouldn't be at all suprised if a new deposit it found (coincidently) as
the old one dries up.

I would. albeit pleasantly surprised. The specific geologic formation
where
these are found is quite unusual. And the specific area where the
Tanzanites
are mined has been rather heavily explored. Lots of holes in the ground.

Yep, fair enough, I'd forgotten just how localised the deposits are. It is
an attractive stone and may be worth a punt, although I do get irritated
when the presenters say "Tanz is 1000 x rarer than diamond". How often do
you get 26ct diamonds? http://tinyurl.com/cvc3p £9,500 ($16,800) BTW

That marketing avenue, fraught as it is with fraud, inept or inexact
gemological
descriptions, and inflated appraisals,

I'm against over-regulation in anything but (replacement) valuations of 10 x
purchase price is very misleading. I'm sure If my wife lost a nice piece,
our Insurance Co will invite us to look at eBay for an accurate guide to
worth.
They also don't mention that Mystic T is lab created. This evening, I also
saw 'Rainbow Quartz' for the first time http://tinyurl.com/7dsdm £99
($160) BTW.
It does look a bit like a 'test-tube baby'. Have you heard of it?
BD

"Peter W.. Rowe," wrote in
:

Seems to me that unless someone finds another similar formation with
it's similarly unusual chemistry and geologic history, that it's
unlikely we'll find a whole big new stash of the stones, at least not
just so coincidentally with the expiration of the current area. I

I've been thinking of getting some of this and experimenting with heat
treatment.

http://www.minedirect.com/EnlargedPa...isite/Zoisite-
2.html

Mind the line wrap



--
James C. Woodard
"Too many laws make scofflaws of all"
http://home.comcast.net/~gwyddon/

That marketing avenue, fraught as it is with fraud, inept or inexact
gemological
descriptions, and inflated appraisals,

I'm against over-regulation in anything but (replacement) valuations of 10 x
purchase price is very misleading. I'm sure If my wife lost a nice piece,
our Insurance Co will invite us to look at eBay for an accurate guide to
worth.
They also don't mention that Mystic T is lab created. This evening, I also
saw 'Rainbow Quartz' for the first time http://tinyurl.com/7dsdm £99
($160) BTW.
It does look a bit like a 'test-tube baby'. Have you heard of it?
BD

--- Not to mention that tv shopping channels are selling obviously color
enhanced diamonds as natural colored, especially blue, green (very rare in
nature) and purple (as far as I know, after red the rarest color for
diamonds in nature). But those are just some examples. ---