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TANZANITE - 1,000 TIMES RARER THAN DIAMONDS
The Tanzanite Experience showcases the history of tanzanite through its unique museum concepts in Arusha and Dar Es Salaam, creating a greater awareness of how rare and precious Tanzanite is by revealing its mystery and rarity.
The Arusha museum opened in the heart of Arusha in 2008 making it the first of its kind to offer visitors an educational experience in an informal and upbeat environment and at the same time giving them a chance to purchase fully certified stones for themselves. The following year then saw the collaboration with Shanga by developing a tanzanite boutique at Shanga River House with a portion of proceeds going to support their community project along with a boutique opening at Arusha Coffee Lodge. New for early 2012 was the exciting opening of another museum in Dar Es Salaam, on Mererani Road in Masaki allowing residents and visitors to Dar to also enjoy ‘The Tanzanite Experience’.
Being a product of TanzaniteOne Mining Ltd, the largest and most sophisticated Tanzanite mine, ensures that the ‘experience’ provides the most up to date information on this precious stone as well as exhibiting an incredible range of finely cut stones that visitors can purchase and know they are buying directly from the source. All stones are certified at the Tanzanite Laboratory which is located within the museum.
The foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro provides the scene for the world’s only source of this precious stone and at The Tanzanite Experience visitors indulge in Tanzanite’s rich heritage and intriguing stories from its discovery by a local Maasai tribesman and naming through to the mining process, cutting and polishing and finally to see first-hand an incredible collection of these finished sparkling gemstones that have become loved the world over.
A series of visual and interactive exhibitions explains the reason why this stone is 1,000 rarer than diamonds. Discovered recently in 1967 Tanzanite is a ‘one generation’ stone meaning that it is anticipated that within the next 12-15 years there will be no more Tanzanite left to mine and the chance to be a ‘first owner’ will be gone. Experts have also claimed that the chance of finding Tanzanite anywhere else on the planet is a million to one. Given its name by Tiffany’s & Co in 1968 it was declared ‘the most beautiful blue stone to be discovered in 2,000 years’. Tanzanite is only found in one small area in the north of Tanzania in an area inhabited by the famous Maasai pastoralists and within the heart of these incredibly superstitious tribe’s people comes a powerful tradition and custom that has passed down through generations. When a Maasai woman gives birth she is considered to have been bestowed a great gift and is clothed and beaded in a vibrant blue believed to be the colour that gives the child a healthy and positive life, the very same colour of the mystical gem stone, Tanzanite. It is this inspiration that has seen born a more modern tradition of gifting a Tanzanite stone at the birth of a child as a symbol of new beginnings, to BE BORN TO TANZANITE™
Exceptionally brilliant, tanzanite is unique among gemstones for its multi-dimensional colour, radiating a kaleidoscope of royal blue, violet, indigo, lilac and periwinkle. In its rough state is it totally unique as it is trichroic meaning it radiates three colours; blue, violet and burgundy. It is all of this that makes it so desirable within the gemstone market.
Furthermore The Tanzanite Experience is endorsed by the Tanzanite Foundation, a non-profit, industry supported organization that is dedicated to protecting and promoting tanzanite on behalf of all ethically operating and socially responsible partners. Alongside its educational and sustainable development initiatives the Foundation also has developed a international grading system for Tanzanite along with a ‘Mark of Rarity’™ which is the icon of the Tanzanite Foundation and is synonymous with consumer confidence and an ethical route to market.
The Tanzanite Experience in Arusha and Dar is open Mon-Fri from 8am – 5pm and on Sat from 9am – 1pm. TTE atShanga River House is open 7 days a week from 9am – 5pm and TTE atArusha Coffee Lodge is open 7 days a week from 7.30am – 7pm.
Website: http://tanzaniteexperience.com/home.htm
