Talk:Tanzanite

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Hi wikipedians. I'd just like to set up a talk page for the Tanzanite entry, as I feel it could perhaps be more informative than it currently is.

The entry is missing key information about, and key events in the history of the gemstone - such as:

1) The rarity of Tanzanite (found only in a 5sq mile patch in merelani, tanzania; 1000 times rarer than diamond; expected to run out within the next few decades).

2) The extreme fluctuations in the value of Tanzanite over recent years due to erratic supply and demand. caused by:

- The deaths of more than 100 Tanzanite miners in flash floods in 1998, and the resulting devastation.

- The Wall Street Journal's claim in 2002 that Al Qaeda traded in Tanzanite to fund terrorism - sparking a boycott of Tanzanite by many US dealers.

3) The emergence of a strong monopoly in the industry (TanzaniteOne) with control over supply - and demand as well, to an extent.

4) The recent creation of The Tanzanite Foundation by a cartel of major Tanzanite industry players, with the goal of building awareness and spreading positive publicity about the gemstone.

Please comment if you would like any of the above to be added or if you would object to any of it being added. Thanks. --Rarther 08:30, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Sure, adding information is good. You'd need to make sure you stick to our Neutrality policy, and to provide sources, particularly for controversial claims (see the Wikipedia:Verifiability policy). — Matt Crypto 08:39, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

I've actually been planning to expand the article into an FA contender, time permitting. I can tackle the history (at least, the bits I can solidly reference) and al-Qaeda allegations, but I haven't had an opportunity to research much about the new syndicate. Some info added by recent editors (namely, the claims about Maasai traditions) should be verified, since they sound romantically contrived. I'll also add a section on imitations, which are becoming more common as prices rise. We've got enough photos for a featured article (barely), though a euhedral crystal would be a helpful illustration. I don't have access to one right now, unfortunately. If there's a specific topic you'd like to focus on first, either solo or in collaboration, do let me know. :) -- Hadal 02:55, 29 April 2006 (UTC)