tanzanite - south africa deluxe€¦ · exceptional quality loose tanzanite stones and has just...
TRANSCRIPT
When you think of tanzania there are many natural wonders
that come to mind, such as Kilimanjaro and her national parks,
the magnificent ngorongoro crater (one of the seven natural
Wonders of africa), and of course the great Wildebeest migration
which takes place from July to october every year. It is a country
of remarkable biodiversity, from the plains of the serengeti, which
it shares with Kenya, to the slopes of Kilimanjaro, whose lush
forest is home to the elusive forest elephant, leopard, buffalo and
endangered abbot’s duiker in addition to many small antelope
and primates. For many climbers every year, there is the promise
of the most spectacular views from the summit as they look down
from the roof of the continent.
at almost three-million years old, the ngorongoro crater boasts
the largest collection of wildlife in east africa, and is home to
an estimated 25 000 animals. the Zanzibar archipelago is
famous for its spices, stone town and exquisite beaches and
diving. Found in the Indian ocean off the coast of tanzania, the
region's fringing coral reefs are rich in marine biodiversity. the
island also has a rich cultural history as a natural trading centre
throughout time. besides being the home of some of the world’s
most magnificent, rare and endangered species of animals,
tanzania is also the only country in which the rare and exquisite
tanzanite gemstone is found. First discovered in 1967, tanzanite, a
variety of the mineral zoisite, has been described as a ‘geological
phenomenon’. today, it is mined within a two-kilometre-wide and
four-kilometre-long strip in the foothills of mount Kilimanjaro
in tanzania. It is a rare, precious gemstone, which due to its
beauty, scarcity and finite supply, has become as prized as
tanzaniteA source of myth,
legend and great beautyp
hot
os: ©
sh
utt
erst
ock
rubies, emeralds and sapphires. tanzanite is uniquely trichroic,
which means that it radiates three different colours from each of
its crystallographic axes: blue, violet and burgundy. once cut and
polished, tanzanite ranges from electric violets and pale blues
to deep royals and rich indigos. tanzanite's extraction lifespan is
estimated to be no more than another 10 to 15 years which adds to
the gem’s allure and popularity as an investment stone.
exceptional quality is of utmost importance to yair shimansky,
founder, designer and creator of shimansky, which is why the
jeweller sources only the highest quality, certified tanzanite in
accordance with the tanzanite International grading standard,
which guarantees the best quality tanzanite in the world.
shimansky sources its top quality, certified ayandatm tanzanite
directly from the maasai community, thereby creating a
sustainable economy for the native people of tanzania. Keenly
aware that the source of tanzanite will be depleted within the
next two decades, shimansky not only sells an exclusive selection
of jewellery featuring this exquisite gem, they also have a large
supply of the finest investment tanzanite available for purchase
by discerning collectors.
The Legend of AyandaIt is not simply the rarity and exclusively african heritage that
makes tanzanite so appealing to connoisseurs of fine jewellery; it
is also the alluring narrative of its discovery that has proved to be
a unique selling feature.
Folklore and legend tell the story of ayanda, a beautiful maasai
princess, who honoured her father’s request to care for her
people, whilst he took a perilous journey up to the misty summit
of mount Kilimanjaro in order to speak to the gods about the
suffering of his people. For many years, drought had plagued the
maasai steppe in tanzania, and the barren land held no promise
of life for its inhabitants. ayanda was a good and caring queen to
the maasai people, and they in turn cared for her, but she grieved
the loss of her father and was gravely concerned about the welfare
of her people. after being visited by her father in a dream, ayanda
set off to find the life-giving waters that he had shown her. after
many fruitless weeks travelling through arid lands, she came to
the foothills of Kilimanjaro and discovered the promised lake in the
valley of the merelani hills. as the exhausted queen knelt to drink
from the crystal blue-violet waters, her father’s image appeared
from the depths and she reached out to touch his face, creating
ripples on the water. as she lifted her hand from the waters, a small
drop from her finger fell into her lap and magically transformed into
a beautiful, faceted gem, the same deep violet-blue as the lake.
awestruck, ayanda lifted the gem to sky, and as she did so, it
changed colour, and the shifting hues surprised and delighted
her, finally bringing a smile to her face once more. as she smiled,
the heavens opened delivering a cool, sweet rain, bringing life to
her land once more.
centuries later, when the maasai people faced hardship and
poverty once more, the village elders recalled the legend of
ayanda and decided to make the journey to her fabled lake.
Instead of a blue-violet lake, they discovered precious deposits of
blue-violet rock, a gemstone that has brought financial relief to
the maasai people in place of the rain.
44 I South AfricA DEluxE I ShoppIng & lIfEStylE jewel lery I 45
‘Ayanda™ - The Queen of Tanzanite’ Collection from
ShimanskyFor nearly two decades shimansky has sourced top quality
tanzanite direct from the maasai tribe in tanzania, contributing
to their sustainability and affording a unique opportunity to
select the latest tanzanite mined. the ‘ayanda™ – the Queen
of tanzanite’ collection is a range of exceptional quality
tanzanite exclusively hand-crafted by shimansky. Featuring
rings, earrings, pendants and bracelets, the collection
comprises beautiful tanzanite jewellery creations set with
diamonds in modern yet timeless designs that celebrate this
truly african gem.
shimansky’s ayanda™ range comprises a wealth of
exceptional quality loose tanzanite stones and has just
been extended to incorporate their latest exclusive jewellery
designs, which have all been handcrafted at their in-house
workshop. ayandatm is renowned for its unusual cuts of
tanzanite, and is often combined with diamonds that are cut
to complement the uniqueness of the tanzanite to create
clean and contemporary pieces.
all of shimansky’s tanzanite is certified in accordance with
the tanzanite International grading standard, so you can be
assured your creation is the rarest of the rare. each stone
is carefully selected and graded and accompanied by a
certification that guarantees colour, clarity and exceptional
quality. shimansky is committed to the development of
tanzanite internationally and has adopted this unique grading
system that best describes and categorises tanzanite.
Brief History of YairShimansky & Shimansky
the existence of every shimansky jewellery creation owes
itself to founder, designer and creator, yair shimansky. after
embarking on a career in the jewellery industry in Japan as a
young man, yair started his own business selling jewellery at
a durban market. his next step was a barrow in the pavilion
shopping centre in Westville, and he opened his first store
in 1994. In just two decades, shimansky has expanded to
include several jewellery stores located throughout south
africa (cape town, Johannesburg and durban), a jewellery
design and manufacturing workshop, a diamond cutting and
polishing factory, and cape town’s only dedicated diamond
museum based in the clock tower precinct, at the Waterfront.
today, shimansky is one of south africa's most recognised
jewellery brands. a result of hard work, dedication and
passion. nothing less than shimansky.
ph
otos
: © c
ourt
esy
of s
him
ansk
y
Yair Shimansky’srecommendations for selecting the
highest quality tanzanite
Colourtanzanite has what many would consider the finest blue
hue in the world of gemstones, a colour tanzanite often
leaves even the finest sapphires lacking. the gem is strongly
trichroic, and therefore appears to have several colours in the
same stone: blue, violet and red. good quality tanzanite has a
deep royal blue or violet colour. colours range from rich royal
blues or vibrant violet to paler watery shades, depending on
whether the stone is blue or violet-dominant in colour. the
colour dominance depends on whether the gem is cut and
polished from the long or the short axis of the crystal-shaped,
rough tanzanite, and the more intense the colour, the better
the quality.
Claritythe clarity of tanzanite is graded in a similar manner to that
of diamonds, and ranges between Internally Flawless (IF),
and Included (I1-3). at shimansky, we don’t stock tanzanite
with a lower clarity than vvs (very, very small Inclusions).
high clarity gives the stone added fire and brilliance, and
significant inclusions could result in the stone cracking or
breaking if pressure if pressure is applied.
Clarity GradingIF - Internally Flawless
vvs - very, very small Inclusions
(not visible under 6x magnification)
vs - very small Inclusions
(slightly visible under 6x magnification)
sI - slight Inclusions (clearly visible under 6x magnification)
I - Included (clearly visible to the eye)
CutIt is very important for tanzanite to be well cut, as it impacts
not only on the brilliance and fire of the stone, but also on
the overall quality. a badly cut tanzanite can make the best
quality look inferior, and often stones are cut to maximise
weight and not beauty. at shimansky, we stock only the best
cut tanzanites, and all our tanzanites are graded for their cut
as part of the certification process.
For more information, please call 021 421 2788
or log onto www.shimansky.com
shimansky
tanzanite earrings
shimansky tanzanite
rings
shimansky tanzanite
pendant
46 I South AfricA DEluxE I ShoppIng & lIfEStylE jewel lery I 47