People born in December have the opportunity to choose between two birthstones: blue zircon and tanzanite. Both of these cool, bluish colored gemstones are beautiful in their own ways, as each have a set of unique properties.
Zircon is the oldest gemstone on earth. Pieces of zircon have been found in Australia from almost 4.4 billion years ago! Due to its high refractive index, zircon is able to flash color and sparkle incredibly well, similar to diamonds. Although blue zircon is the most widely known form, zircon comes in an array of colors, from icy gray, to honey yellow, to deep red. Compared to tanzanite, zircon has a lighter, more vibrant, blue hue. Blue zircon became popular during the Victorian time period. In the middle ages, as it was was believed to aid in resting and induce sound sleep. Some also believe zircon is able to prevent nightmares. However, if a zircon stone loses its luster, danger may be lurking in the near future.
Tanzanite is an exotic gemstone that was discovered very recently. The first tanzanite crystal was found in 1967 by Ali Juuyawatu. Tanzanite received international popularity overnight after Tiffany & Company became its main distributor and promoted it with a publicity campaign in 1968. Tanzanite is unique because it can only be found near Mount Kilimanjaro. For this reason, tanzanite derives its name from the East African country Tanzania. Tanzanite became a December birthstone in 2002, and it is used more commonly in fine jewelry than blue zircon. Tanzanite can be found in shades of royal blue, pale purple, and rich indigo. It is said that tanzanite stones help with spiritual healing.
Tanzanite and blue zircon are the perfect birthstones for the wintery month of December. However, our jewelers have crafted exquisite pieces with these stones that are beautiful no matter the season!
