In this article
Written by Sameer
Reviewed on
Traditional belief vs gemmology: anything on this page about luck, protection, planets, healing or religious tradition describes traditional and cultural beliefs — not proven effects, religious rulings or medical advice. A stone's identity, hardness, treatment and origin are gemmology, which a lab can test; the references at the end of the page cover that side.
No month has more choice than December. Tanzanite is the modern pick, added to the list in 2002. The older lists give turquoise, which everyone in Pakistan knows as feroza, and lapis lazuli, our lajward. All three are blue, yet one is a transparent crystal and the other two are opaque stones that are judged by completely different rules. Start with the comparison, then go to the section on the stone you are leaning towards.
The three compared
| Tanzanite | Feroza (turquoise) | Lajward (lapis) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Transparent violet-blue | Opaque sky blue to greenish blue | Opaque deep royal blue |
| Mohs hardness | 6 to 7 | 5 to 6 | 5 to 6 |
| What you judge | Depth of colour | Colour and matrix | Even blue, pyrite, little calcite |
| Biggest risk | Cleavage, sudden heat | Dyed fakes, porosity | Dyed material |
Tanzanite: one source in the whole world
Every tanzanite on the market comes from a narrow strip of ground at Merelani in northern Tanzania, where it was found in 1967. With only one source, supply is genuinely limited, and that is a big part of why people want it.
Colour sets the value. The best stones are a deep violet-blue with flashes of purple. Pale, greyish or very light tanzanite is far more common and far cheaper. The stone is strongly trichroic, showing blue, violet and a burgundy tone from different angles, so a good cutter orients it to face up blue. Turn it slowly in your fingers while you look.
Heating is the norm. Almost all tanzanite is heated to clear out a brownish tint. The result is permanent and accepted, and unheated material is uncommon. Imitations include synthetic forsterite, glass and colour-change synthetics, so for any significant stone, ask for an independent lab report before you commit.
Be gentle with it. Tanzanite has a distinct cleavage and only moderate hardness, so it suits a pendant, earrings or a ring kept for occasions. It should never go in an ultrasonic cleaner, and sudden temperature changes are best avoided.
Feroza: a long local history, and plenty of fakes
Few stones have a longer story in this part of the world than turquoise. Persian feroza from Nishapur has moved through Peshawar and Quetta for centuries, and its clean sky blue is still what every other turquoise is measured against.
It is also the stone people copy most. Dyed howlite and dyed magnesite get sold as feroza all the time. Real turquoise is porous, so a lot of it is stabilised with resin to make it harder, and that is fine as long as you are told. Dye used to fake the colour is not fine. What to look at:
- Natural turquoise often carries some matrix, darker veins of the host rock, and those veins should look irregular rather than printed on.
- The colour should run through the stone, not gather in the cracks and veins.
- Ask straight out: natural, stabilised or dyed?
Feroza is soft and drinks things in. Keep it away from perfume, oil, cosmetics and water, and take a turquoise ring off before washing your hands or making wudu.
Lajward: the blue from Afghanistan
For thousands of years the best lapis in the world has come out of the Sar-e-Sang mines in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, and it reaches Pakistan over that border. You want an even, intense royal blue, with small golden pyrite flecks sprinkled through it rather than gathered in big patches, and as little grey-white calcite as you can get. Dyed lapis does exist. A cotton bud with a touch of acetone, rubbed on a hidden spot, will pick up colour from dyed material. Look after lajward the same way you would feroza.
Which one as a December present?
Tanzanite is a striking, modern gift for a big occasion. Feroza has deep cultural meaning here and is a favourite ring stone, especially for men. Lapis gives you a rich, royal blue without a heavy budget, and works well in pendants, beads and signet-style rings.
December in the Vedic system
These December stones come from Western lists. Vedic tradition associates lapis and other blue stones with Saturn and picks them from the chart, not the birth month. See gemstones by rashi and our birthstone guide.
Ordering from Authentic Gems
Each stone is photographed as it really is and priced on its own, with any known treatment stated. Browse tanzanite, feroza or lapis lazuli. Delivery from Karachi is usually 1 to 2 working days within the city and a little longer elsewhere in Pakistan, and you pay Cash on Delivery after checking the stone, with 7-day returns. Questions? Message us on WhatsApp or through our contact page.
References
