Rich Swiss women, other affluent Europeans and the Japanese are fascinated by the bright emerald-colored tsavorite, says Karl Egon Wild of Karl Egon Wild Lapidaries in West Germany.
The popularity of the African stone, described by Wild as a good complement to a woman’s emerald collection, is evident in Europe, Japan and the United States, where top quality tsavorites are set with diamonds and the lower quality stones mounted in color combinations.
Tsavorite, discovered in the early 1970’s and named after a park in Kenya, in more descript terms is “fresh, grass green in the morning,” Wild said in an interview. Tsavorites have fewer inclusions than emeralds and cost only one-third of the emerald’s price.
“They are popular now,” he said on a recent trip to Bangkok, adding that rubies and sapphires are now overpriced. “Psychologically, people regard Bangkok as the place for rubies and sapphires, so that’s why we stay away from them.”
With 20 years experience in the African stones trade, Karl Egon Wild believes buyers can still get a fair price for these stones.
Tanzanite, discovered in Tanzania in 1968 and also given that name by Tiffany’s, is a good substitute for blue sapphire, says Wild. For wearers, tanzanite’s natural blue color is “elegant , of low profile, and for people who don’t want to overdo it.”
Though tanzanite is available in Asia and elsewhere, the best cutting comes from ldar-Oberstein, West Germany, said Wild, also vice president of the Diamond and Precious Stones Exchange in ldar-Oberstein.
Below, Wild gives approximate retail prices for tanzanites and tsavorites.
TANZANITE
Carat weight and suggested price range
1 carat -- 200 U.S. dollars
2 carats -- 300 to 350 U.S. dollars/carat
3 to 5carats -- 500 U.S. dollars/carat
5 to 10 carats -- over 750 U.S. dollars/carat
Over 10 carats -- 1,200 U.S. dollars/carat upwards
TSAVORITE
½ carat -- 450 U.S. dollars
1 carat -- 900 U.S. dollars/carat
2 carat -- 2,000 U.S. dollars/carat
3 carat -- 3,000 U.S. dollars/carat