Backchannelmedia

Backchannelmedia

Rare Gemstone Increasing In Demand, Decreasing In Supply

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewelry Television is one of the world's largest retailers of the exquisitely beautiful gemstone, tanzanite. This increasingly popular stone, known for its vibrant shades of blue, continues to lure jewelry enthusiasts and fashion experts alike. With its best and largest tanzanite collection to date, Jewelry Television is proud to host the industry's first-ever 24-hour tanzanite sales event on April 14.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070413/CLF091 )

"Tanzanite is considered one of the smartest buys in a gemstone," says Natalie Parman, vice president of merchandising for Jewelry Television. "It continues to increase in value -- and since it's only mined one place in the world -- it's predicted and feared tanzanite will some day become unattainable. It's a gemstone jewelry enthusiasts everywhere want to get their hands on. We recently had the rare opportunity to buy a large amount of tanzanite rough in Arusha and will be offering faceted stones and finished jewelry from that lot as well," said Parman.

Discovered in 1967, tanzanite is exclusively found in Tanzania and is 1000 times rarer than a diamond. On the Mohs' Scale of Hardness, tanzanite registers a 6.5, compared to diamond at 10. Since it's softer, tanzanite is best suited for jewelry that doesn't see heavy wear, making it ideal for earrings, bracelets or pendants. Although many people admire its beauty so much, the gemstone also frequently adorns rings.

Tanzanite is a variety of zoisite, which in the "rough," is seen as a brownish-green color. Stones are then heated at extremely high temperatures to produce the coveted blue hues. The lighter-colored blue stones are usually less expensive than the darker, deeper hued.

During its 24-hour tanzanite event, Jewelry Television will offer special pieces of tanzanite jewelry as well as exclusive deals -- including free copies of a Jewelry Television tanzanite documentary with every purchase. For more information, or to view tanzanite jewelry, or for a comprehensive gemstone learning library, visit http://www.JTV.com.

About Jewelry Television(TM)

Jewelry Television is the nation's fastest-growing home shopping network, focusing exclusively on the sale of fine jewelry and loose gemstones. Jewelry Television airs live programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The network is the 15th largest fine jewelry retailer in the United States.

Industry experts host Jewelry Television programming, bringing rare, beautiful and affordable merchandise to people everywhere. Many of the on-air hosts hold Accredited Jewelry Professional certifications and even Graduate Gemologist degrees from the Gemological Institute of America. Jewelry Television shows can be viewed live from http://www.JTV.com, which contains all merchandise for sale and a learning library with informative videos and articles about gemstones.

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Jewelry Television acquired Shop At Home in 2006, including its popular branded line Bella Luce. Jewelry Television's revenues are approximately $470 million. In 2006, the East Tennessee Business Journal recently named Jewelry Television as one of the best places to work and Business Tennessee magazine ranked it as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the state.

SOURCE Jewelry Television