Twilight Over Merelani centers on an oval tanzanite cabochon whose color shifts beautifully with changing light, moving through dusky violet, blue-violet, and softer lavender tones. Named for the Merelani Hills of northern Tanzania, the only known commercial source of tanzanite, the piece pays quiet homage to the remarkable landscape from which this gemstone comes.
I set the tanzanite cabochon by hand in a solid sterling silver crown gallery bezel, allowing the delicate scalloped edge of the setting to frame the stone without overwhelming its natural character. The smooth cabochon surface gives its color a soft, atmospheric quality, especially as it moves between sunlight and gentler indirect light.
Suspended from an 18-inch sterling silver chain, Twilight Over Merelani feels like the last blue-violet light of evening captured just before nightfall.
Details
Natural tanzanite cabochon
Oval stone measures approximately 8mm x 10mm
Handset in a solid sterling silver crown gallery bezel
Sterling silver chain
Sterling silver lobster clasp
Approximately 18 inches long
Photographed in both indirect natural light and direct sunlight to illustrate the gemstone's natural shifts in color under different lighting conditions
