Tanzanite Price Per Carat
Tanzanite is currently worth $100 to $1,500 per carat depending on quality.
Tanzanite delivers a violet-blue that competes with fine sapphire at a tenth of the price — single-source supply from Merelani, Tanzania keeps it scarce enough to matter but commercial enough to buy. Pricing climbs with saturation and size: pale lavender stones open around $100 per carat while vivid 'D-block' blues over 5 carats reach $800–$1,500.
TanzaniteValue Chart by Carat & Quality (2026)
Retail price per carat for loose stones, by size bracket and quality tier.
| Carat | Light (lavender / pale) | Fine (strong violet-blue) | Top (vivid 'D-block' blue) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 ct | $100–$200 | $200–$350 | $350–$500 |
| 1–2 ct | $150–$250 | $250–$450 | $450–$700 |
| 2–3 ct | $180–$300 | $300–$550 | $550–$900 |
| 3–5 ct | $200–$350 | $350–$650 | $650–$1,100 |
| 5–10 ct | $220–$400 | $400–$750 | $750–$1,500 |
| 10+ ct | $250–$450 | $450–$800 | $800–$1,500+ |
Standard heated tanzanite, per carat. Certified unheated blue stones and rare fancies (pink, green zoisite) trade above the table; pale 'sleepy' included goods below it.
What Drives Tanzanite Value
The factors dealers actually price on — and how each one moves the per-carat number.
Saturation: the vivid threshold
Tanzanite is graded on how deep and vivid the violet-blue reads face-up. The jump from medium to vivid — what dealers call 'investment' or 'D-block' color — is where prices double. Pale lavender is pretty but commercial.
Blue vs violet balance
Stones oriented to face up blue (sacrificing carat yield) price above violet-dominant cuts of equal saturation, since blue chases the sapphire look. Collectors increasingly prize the honest violet — but the market still pays for blue.
Size rewards
Color saturates with depth, so large tanzanites genuinely look better — and per-carat prices rise steadily to 10 carats and beyond. Fine big stones remain available, unlike comparable sapphire.
Clarity expectations
Eye-clean is standard; tanzanite is rarely included. Visible flaws or the cloudy 'sleepy' look push stones quickly to the light tier regardless of color.
Single-source risk and hype
One mine on earth means genuine supply risk — and decades of 'soon gone forever' marketing. Real price growth has been steady rather than explosive; buy color, not countdown stories.
What Is YOUR Tanzanite Worth?
Charts show the market — your stone has its own carat, color, clarity, and treatment story. Get a personalized estimate in under a minute.
These prices only apply to genuine tanzanite
Imitations and undisclosed synthetics trade at a tiny fraction of these figures. Run the tanzanite real-vs-fake tests before valuing or selling your stone.
Tanzanite Price Questions
Get answers to common questions about rock identification, rockhounding, and using our platform.
Pale stones: $150–$250 per carat. Fine strong violet-blue: $250–$450. Vivid top color: $450–$700. Tanzanite's sweet spot is actually larger stones — at 3–5 carats the color deepens dramatically and fine stones run $350–$1,100 per carat, still far below comparable sapphire.
Geologically, yes — gem zoisite of this kind occurs in one 7-kilometer strip in Tanzania, while diamonds are mined on every continent but Europe and Antarctica. Commercially, diamond's price is supported by demand and marketing scale tanzanite doesn't have, so rarity and price tell different stories.
Hardness and history. At Mohs 6–7 with cleavage, tanzanite needs protective settings and can't claim sapphire's everyday toughness; and sapphire has centuries of pedigree against tanzanite's 1967 discovery. For face-up beauty per dollar, though, tanzanite is arguably the best blue buy in gems.
Fine vivid stones over 3 carats have appreciated modestly and steadily; commercial light goods have not. Treat appreciation as a possible bonus, not the purchase thesis — and keep certificates, since unheated or fancy-color tanzanite is where the collector premiums concentrate.
More TanzaniteTools & Guides
Gemstone Value Calculator
Estimate what YOUR tanzanite is worth in under a minute.
Is My Tanzanite Real?
Tanzanite prices only apply to genuine stones — test yours first.
Tanzanite Identification Guide
Properties, colors, varieties, and photos in the encyclopedia.
Free Gemstone Appraisal
Photo-based appraisal estimate for any gemstone.