And with the price
of tanzanite still sufficiently beaten down since 2008/09, I'd venture that a recession wouldn't necessarily impact it further at this point anyway...
Finally, Richland Resources (RLD: LN) ** undertakes larger scale mining in Block C, and is considered to be the largest and most advanced miner and supplier
of tanzanite in the world.
It's harder than tanzanite (at 7 - 7.5 on the Mohs Scale), with a correspondingly higher price (2 - 4 times
that of tanzanite).
Mostly by design, it's become the mini-De Beers
of the tanzanite industry.
In fact, in light
of tanzanite's rarity, Richland's shareholders could possibly be better served (at some point in the future) by a restriction in production, rather than a continued increase.
More rondelle beads and polished nuggets
of tanzanite swing gracefully below on gold plated chain segments of varying lengths.
Not exact matches
«The Merelani district has been famous since the late 1960s for the blue gem variety
of zoisite known as
tanzanite, but this is really a mineral collector's paradise and an exciting place to look for new minerals,» says John Jaszczak, a physics professor at Michigan Tech and the lead author on a new study published in Minerals that describes the new mineral.
Not only for prized
tanzanite and tsavorite used in jewelry, but also for hosting a suite
of other minerals increasingly prized by mineral collectors.
A cluster
of blue - violet
tanzanite stones and white topaz create a dazzling flower - shaped bezel on this cocktail ring.
Thai artisan Saranarat's long fascination with the natural beauty
of gemstones comes through in this station necklace featuring freeform natural
tanzanite and faceted amethyst.
This blue and yellow hue sautoir is composed
of aquamarine, smokey quartz, blue agate, green amethyst, citrine, blue topaz, pearls, and
tanzanite beads that
of different sizes and a mix...
Five radiant blue - violet
tanzanite stones with a total weight
of one carat gleam brightly in this multi-stone ring.
New
tanzanite resource statement from Richland Resources — new total resource
of 105 million carats, and life
of mine now estimated at 30 years (at 2.7 mio cts per year).
A 15 P / E seems reasonable in light
of the current high level
of revenue / earnings growth, the medium term 9.4 % carat production growth rate and the still depressed
tanzanite price.
This comes down to the fact that
tanzanite can only be found in one place on earth — the Merelani foothills
of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania.
The CEO is Bernard Olivier is a geologist — his PhD dissertation actually covered all aspects
of the Merelani
tanzanite deposit.
There has been a changing business mix (
of rough, polished and jewelry) over the years, but v clearly the credit crunch / recession caused a price crash in
tanzanite (to $ 5.69 per carat in 2009), with a slow recovery to $ 8.89 since then.
It's a rather unique play on
tanzanite — a precious gemstone that appears to be incredibly limited in terms
of the scale & geography
of remaining world resources.
There are also high hopes in the industry that an increased Asian preference / acceptance for coloured gemstones, coupled with increasing incomes / aspirations, means there is huge untapped potential to sell
tanzanite in China, India and the rest
of Asia.