What is Zultanite?

Have you been hearing about some weird gemstone called Zultanite recently? Here’s what all the fuss is about…

Zultanite is one of the newest gemstones on the block, and gemstone experts and jewellers alike are falling head over heels to get their eyes or hands on the smallest piece of it. Why? For a start, the only known source comes from a mine in the mountains of southwest Turkey, at an elevation of over 4,000 feet. It’s not the easiest place in the world to access, which makes this gemstone all the more rare and special.

But there’s more. Depending on the light source, zultanite changes colour from yellow-green to light gold to purple-pink. In sunlight it appears lime green, in lower artificial light it takes on a champagne tone, and various other light conditions bring about yet more effects. This truly striking appearance is something no other gemstone can boast (even other colour changing gems like alexandrite).

So why has it been in the news recently? Because late last year luxury jewellery brand Kat Florence secured an exclusive collection of the top eight largest zultanite stones in the world. The largest gem weighed in at 105 carats, and prices start at $500+ for 1 carat; so let’s just say it wasn’t a bargain.

Kat Florence intends to create a jewellery collection out of the stones, all of which are flawless, and is aiming to launch it later this year. Celebrities such as Kesha, Olivia Munn, Nick Cannon, and Kathy Griffin are already fans of the gem, so it doesn’t look like it will making its way into mainstream jewellery shops for the ordinary folk of the world to buy.

But still, we can dream about a magical engagement ring that changes colour constantly, right?