Tanzanite Engagement Rings

Tanzanite is the name given to the mineral zoisite when it's sold as a blue or violet gem. The gem is mined almost exclusively in one very small region of Tanzania, which gives the stone its name. In the world of gems, Tanzanite is extremely young, having been discovered only a few decades ago. Its popularity grew rapidly and, in the early 2000s, tanzanite was added as a December birthstone (along with zircon and turquoise).

Tanzanite has a very distinctive range of colors. For some, it's prized as an inexpensive alternative to sapphire, and it can have the kind of pure, royal blue that's characteristic of fine sapphire. Others love the distinctive violet hues that blend the royal purple of amethyst and the vivid blue of sapphire.

While zoisite occurs naturally in many colors, including blue and purple, almost all of the tanzanite that's sold and used for jewelry is heat treated. Applying heat to the pale blue tanzanite (or, in some cases, colorless, brown, yellow, or green stones) causes a chemical change in vanadium, an element commonly trapped in the crystal structure of the tanzanite. Vanadium is what gives tanzanite its blue color, and the heat treatment brings this out. In pale blue stones, the heat treatment enhances the color, making it far more vivid. In other cases, it can create the blue color where none existed to begin with.

It's very rare to find a natural tanzanite with the type of vivid blue that buyers expect in the gem. In fact, this type of untreated, natural blue tanzanite is prized by collectors and would command a very high price. So it's common and expected that the tanzanite you choose will be heat treated. And this treatment is permanent. Once heated, the tanzanite's color will not fade with time.

Typically, your custom piece will be in your hands 2-4 weeks after we've finalized your design. However, because each project is different, the time it takes to complete your project may vary. Here's a rough breakdown of how long each part of our process takes:

When it comes to creating your design, we'll work at your pace. Some customers only need to exchange a few messages with us - we'll often be ready to make their piece within a few days. Others may prefer to design and iterate with us over many weeks, or even months.

Once you've approved a design, we'll manufacture your piece, finishing all the details by hand. When it's ready, we'll send you photographs of your finished piece so you can give us your seal of approval before we ship it to you.

We offer free shipping within the US via FedEx or USPS, and we ship international packages via DHL Worldwide Express, one of the fastest services available. Depending on location, international shipments can sometimes be delayed by local customs for inspection, which can extend the delivery time.

In general, our custom rings are the same price as similar rings off-the-shelf ('similar' meaning a comparable selection of metals and gemstones used, which are the biggest factors in price). Our aim is to make high-quality custom designs accessible to everyone.

Each ring we produce starts off as a brand new concept. Because of that, it’s difficult to know how much a piece is going to cost without knowing a bit more about the idea you have in mind.

The easiest way to figure out how much your ring will cost is to start a consultation with us and let our team know what you're looking for - we can provide an estimate with only a few details.

There's no charge to discuss your design, and price out options with our team. In many cases, our jewelry designers will also create artistic sketches of our design concepts for your piece. We request a deposit prior to producing 3D models and renderings of your design and that deposit goes toward the final cost of producing your piece.

Unlike most jewelers, we don't keep a huge inventory of gems. Since every piece we make is custom, we prefer to source each stone individually, to suit the design and the specific needs of each customer.

As with the rest of our design process, our team will guide you through the gem selection process. We start by figuring out what's important to you in a gemstone, whether it's budget, origin, size, color, or simply the overall look. With that in mind, we research and prepare a set of options that we think would work for you. Some come from our curated collection, others from a network of trusted suppliers, and in some cases, we may opt to have an expert lapidary custom cut your gem. You'll make the final decision on the option that best meets your needs, and we'll make sure you have everything you need to make the best choice.

Our primary goal with gemstones is transparency. The center stone is an essential part of the look of your ring and it can be a big financial decision. Trust is built on honest communication, so we work hard to give you all the information you need to make a confident choice.

We stand behind our jewelry 100% and we offer a comprehensive set of warranties so that you can purchase with confidence.

We guarantee our workmanship and take responsibility for any structural defects.

All the materials (metals, diamonds, and gemstones) we sell are authentic and properly specified in your proposal agreement.

If any small accent gems (<$100 value) break or fall out of their settings in the first year after we create the ring or within a year of us performing maintenance on the ring, we’ll replace them free of charge.

Read more about our warranties.