How to care for tanzanite
Clean tanzanite with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then dry it with a soft cloth. Never use an ultrasonic or steam cleaner, and avoid sudden temperature changes and household chemicals. Tanzanite is Mohs 6–7 with one direction of perfect cleavage, so protect it from knocks.
- Warm soapy water only; ultrasonic and steam cleaners can split the stone along its cleavage.
- Take the ring off for sport, gardening, cleaning and the gym.
- Bezel and halo settings protect the girdle, the most vulnerable edge.
- Store separately: harder stones such as sapphire and diamond will scratch tanzanite in a shared box.
Why tanzanite needs different habits
Tanzanite sits at 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, below quartz-based dust in some conditions, and it has one direction of perfect cleavage — a plane along which the crystal can part cleanly if struck at the wrong angle. Neither fact makes it fragile in normal life. Both make it a stone to wear deliberately rather than forget about.
Cleaning, step by step
Use a bowl of warm — not hot — water with a drop of washing-up liquid. Soak the piece for a few minutes, brush gently behind the stone with a soft toothbrush where skin oils collect, rinse in water of the same temperature, and dry with a microfibre cloth. That is the whole procedure.
Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners, bleach, acetone and abrasive pastes. Ultrasonic vibration is the classic way tanzanite gets damaged in a jeweller's back room, and a thermal shock from hot water on a cold stone can do the same.
Settings that do the protecting
A bezel wraps metal around the girdle and takes the impact before the stone does. A halo of small stones does much the same. High four-prong solitaires look wonderful and leave the edges exposed, which is a reasonable trade for occasional wear and a poor one for a ring you never remove. For pendants and earrings none of this matters much — they rarely meet anything hard.
When to take it off
Sport, gardening, weights, DIY, cleaning with chemicals, and the beach, where sand does the scratching. Put jewellery on after cosmetics and perfume, and take it off before removing them. If you have a tanzanite you wear daily, have the setting checked once a year — most stones are lost to a worn prong, not to a broken gem.
For what all this means when you are choosing between stones, see tanzanite versus sapphire.
Frequently asked questions
Can tanzanite be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner?
No. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are the most common cause of damage to tanzanite. Warm soapy water and a soft brush are the only cleaning method we recommend.
Is tanzanite suitable for an engagement ring?
It can be, in a protective bezel or halo setting and with realistic habits: off for sport, gardening and housework. For a ring that is never removed, a harder stone is the safer choice.
Does tanzanite scratch easily?
More easily than sapphire or diamond. At Mohs 6 to 7 it can be marked by everyday grit, so store it separately and keep it away from abrasive surfaces.
Can tanzanite go in water?
Yes, plain water is harmless. What to avoid is hot water on a cold stone, chlorinated pools and salt water with sand, which combine chemicals and abrasion.
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