ANZA Gems

🌈 Continuing our Pride Month celebration with a radiant rainbow of responsibly sourced gems. Each one symbolizes the love and diversity that make our world so beautiful. Let’s shine together and spread love, inclusivity, and pride as we strive to live our best lives as our most authentic selves. Love is love, and it’s always worth celebrating. 🏳️‍🌈❤️

Our goal in everything we do is to spark joy and lift people up. We’re optimistic these images of gorgeous, traceable colored gemstones will do just that!

Which one brightens your day the most?

1. Colorful array of traceable (yellow garnet, Umba sapphire, rhodolite garnet, zircon)
2. Candy-colored cabochons cut by
3. Vibrant green grossular garnets
4. Electric ANZA Collection gems (Tanzanite, grossular garnet, tourmaline, spessartine garnet)
5. Sweet spinels & juicy amethyst
6. Cool combo of a teal blue Umba sapphire & orangey color change garnet
7. Juicy red raspberry rhodolite garnets
8. Pretty pastels
9. Dreamy blue-purple Umba sapphires
10. A sea of rhodolite and spessartine garnets.

Let us know in the comments!! And have a vibrant, joyful weekend 💕💕

Thank you to all those who serve & sacrifice selflessly. Our gratitude & respect runs deep. Happy Memorial Day ❤️🤍💙

We’ve got your color inspiration right here!

Seattle’s been in full on spring mode lately which is a euphemism for lots of grey skies and rain. Needless to say, these gorgeous, colorful gems, are giving us life!

Color’s influence on our energy and mood is undeniable! Which one of these shots moves you the most?

1. Electric sapphires, spinel & grossular garnet.
2. Perfectly imperfect cool hued sapphires
3. Sunshine yellow citrines.
4. Rosy blush zircons
5. Vibrant sapphires.
6. Luscious green tourmalines.
7. Lavender haze amethysts.
8. Neon glowing grossulars, spinel, & spessartine.
9. Juicy berry-colored rhodolite garnets.
10. Multicolored Earth-toned tourmalines.

Cant wait to know what’s speaking to you!

Which gem will be crowned the 2024 champion? Spinel or sapphire? It’s up to you!

Head over to our stories to vote for your favorite. If you need a little help deciding, swipe to see some of our favorite ANZA & Collection spinels and sapphires from over the years. It’s not hard to see why these two gems are in this final championship matchup. They’re both such versatile gems in a spectacular range of colors!!

It’s almost impossible to choose a favorite, but only one gem can will reign supreme. What will it be? We’ll announce the outcome as soon as voting closes tomorrow.

Your 2024 FINAL FOUR!!

Did your “team” make it?!? Any big surprises here?

Honestly, we thought our team, aquamarine, would beat out zircon. At the same time, we love that there are so many zircon fans out there!

Did you know in the very 1st back in 2020 zircon & sapphire also went head to head in the & tied?!?! Could it happen again? It’s possible! All depends on how you vote when rhetoric final four matchups go live Thursday!

This is also the 1st time tsavorite has been in the Final Four since 2020 after narrowly beating out Tanzanite in a barn-burner of an Elite Eight match up! (Check out our stories to see the full results.) Tsavorite seems to have a lot of momentum and a strong fan base. Could it upset spinel and win the big dance all together?!?

What’s everyone rooting for? Anyone jumping on a bandwagon??

Don’t forget, we’ll raffle off the winning gem to benefit , so make sure to show up Thursday to vote! Make sure your favorite advances to the championship, so you can have the chance to win it while making a positive impact!

Who’s ready for more Madness?!? The first 2 matchups are LIVE in our stories! Be sure to vote to advance your favorites onto the !

Any predictions?!? Could grossular garnet dethrone our reigning champ, sapphire?!? Will aquamarine continue its Cinderella run and beat zircon?

One thing seems clear from these matchups….someone NEEDS to design a zircon and aquamarine toi-et-moi ring!!! Who knew?!

POV: when the past and present beautifully align.

Aren’t these garnet (!!!) suites 🔥🔥🔥?

The top row of fiery hexagons was ‘s very first suite of traceable she cut for us years ago. The bottom row of dazzling, reminiscent rounds just arrived back from the cutters in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

These new beauties instantly conjured the excitement and awe of that first suite and the early days of . Followed immediately by a wave of deep gratitude and profound appreciation for this journey we’re on and all the amazing people we’ve collaborated with along the way to bring traceable colored gemstones and the stories of the people behind them to the world. Can you believe it’s been almost 5 years!?! We certainly can’t.

And yet, here we are. Sometimes we get so bogged down in the day to day, that it’s hard to see the big picture; to appreciate where you’ve been and how you’ve gotten to this place and time and all the beautiful, and challenging moments along the way.

But these garnets brought us a little moment of perspective. How much we’ve grown; what a journey it’s been; what a privilege it is to be on it. We’re looking forward to what lies ahead.

Funny how a few small gems, can stir up such a wave of emotion. Then again, it’s not that surprising. That’s the power of gems. Especially ones with such rich stories that become interwoven with our own. Don’t you think? ❤️🧡💛🧡❤️

Ramadan Mubarak to everyone who celebrates! Wishing you a blessed, peaceful, prosperous Ramadan. ✨🤍✨

Just in case you need a little mood booster…we’ve got you.

And as if the visible beauty of these gems wasn’t enough, they’re ALL traceable sourced rough from miners like Salma, Mwanaidi, Fatuma, Mariam, Bahati, and Agnes (& many more) in Tanzania and cut by in Michigan. Knowing the humans who made them possible AND that the miners made 3-10 times more for the rough than they would in traditional markets AND that they were cut with the utmost artistry in safe conditions radiates an even more dazzling beauty from within.

You can see it now, can’t you? 😉

Pretty gems are pretty gems, right? So why do we “dig deeper” and focus so much on the journey of our gems and sharing their unique stories?

To echo ’s point on GemDaddy today, we believe it’s important to educate about where gems come from, how they’re unearthed, who’s doing that work, and the challenges they face.

It’s so easy to get swept away by a dazzling gem, and not see beyond its sparkle. But we believe that’s where its true beauty lies. Learning the origin of a gem, knowing the human hands who made it possible, understanding the time and effort and artistry that went into it, and knowing the positive impact it had along the way adds value and appreciation beyond measure.

So we share that story as often, and with as much detail, as possible. Like this ombré of rhodolite garnet rounds all sourced rough from Salma in Tanzania and cut by artisanal cutters in Chiang Mai, Thailand with their sale supporting future the Moyo Gems market days and new initiatives within the program.

We acknowledge this story isn’t as robust as we’d like. Ideally we’d know exactly which mine these came from and the individual or team of miners who discovered and extracted the rhodolite deposit. Similarly, we’d love to know precisely who cut these specific stones. Was it Gao, Khal, Lek, Yod, or Albert? We’re on a journey too; constantly striving to do better and enhance the story of our gems with more details. Hopefully we’ll make additional progress soon.

In the meantime, we encourage you to the same with your own journey. Start somewhere. Do what you can. Educating consumers and transforming how we talk about gemstones and their origins is as challenging an undertaking as transforming the gems themselves. But the outcome is similar - revealing a deeper beauty beyond what our eye can see. It’s so worth it.

Love. Self love. Friendship love. Family love. Romantic love. Human love. We’re here for it all. The world needs more love.

This Valentine’s Day and beyond, let’s lead with love. Lean into it. You may never know exactly the impact it may have, but you’ll never regret putting more love & kindness out into the world.

We love you all. Happy Valentine’s Day. ❤️💖💜

ps…How cute are these round rhodolite garnet cabs all sourced from Salma in Tanzania and cut by artisanal cutters in Chiang Mai, Thailand?? Hope you LOVE them! 🥰

Now that we have your attention with this gorgeous rainbow of …

Do you all know ‘s Director of Mine to Markets .rocks ? If you do, you know she’s a true gem in our industry. If not, you have a great opportunity to “meet” her as she sits down with for her fabulous podcast to share her story & chat about and the challenges women miners face. Trust us, it’s you will not be disappointed!

We could listen to Cristina for hours. Her depth of knowledge and vast field experience make her one of the preeminent voices on responsible mining. And her impeccable poise combined with her beautiful heart and fun-loving spirit give her charm and charisma beyond measure. Talk about a winning combination.

Above all else, Cristina’s passion for her work & perseverance in bringing groundbreaking projects (like ) to life are what truly inspires. She is a force for good and change unlike any we’ve met. What a joy and honor it is to collaborate with such a powerhouse woman so dedicated to lifting up everyone around her - other women in particular. We are your biggest fans, .rocks. We’ll never be able to fully express our gratitude for you. 💕🙏💕 (our forever IT Girl 🥰😂)

Please be sure to listen to Cristina’s chat with ( ) and show both these wonderful women some love for everything they do for the jewelry industry. We can’t imagine it without them. 💖💖

Color. It makes us so happy.

Well, not always “happy.” That’s the beauty of color. Different colors conjure different emotions. They amplify what we feel, or enhance it by with a particular hue evoking a new sensation. Sometimes color can even shift our mood or perspective. Its power is undeniable.

What color are you feeling today?

Have you ever seen more beautifully captured gems?? .photography is pure magic!

The gems themselves aren’t bad either, huh? And if you think they’re pretty in pictures, just wait until you see them in person! All these beauties (& more) are waiting for you at the Tucson show, but time is running out! We’re only here until Tuesday at 6pm.

Will we see you?? 🤞🤞

Monday blues headed to Tucson later this week!

We truly cannot wait to see you at the show this Saturday - Tuesday!

What makes this show so special?

We’ll, first, this group oh wonderful humans really care about their supply chains and the people who make their gems possible. Each company has a unique approach and equally unique materials, but a common thread of care and contentiousness to “do better.”

Next, it’s small. With only 8 vendors to visit, you really get to take your time and connect if you’re so inclined.

Which leads to our favorite reason, conversation. At the show, you’re encouraged to engage and ask questions. Nothing is more rewarding than having a good discussion about what we do. Want to know more about ANZA’s mission? Curious about our thoughts on an industry “issue”? Interested in how we reinvest in East African mining communities? Want to better understand the difference between our ANZA & Collections? Why do we focus on supporting women in our supply chain? We try to answer those questions here, but an IG caption only goes so far, so please! Come ASK us! We would LOVE to discuss whatever you’re interested in.

Oh…and of course, gorgeous gems. At the end of the day, it’s all about the dazzling sparkle, and you won’t be disappointed.

Will we see you there? 🤞🤞

Before your Tucson schedule fills up, please save next Sunday the 28th from 4-6pm for us! The Collective is hosting our annual Sonoran Happy Hour, and we’d love to see you there!

Food, drinks, & amazing community with side of responsibly sourced gems? Yes, please! Can’t wait!

The happy hour is free, but please reserve your spot via . Thanks! Will we see you there?

Our first of 2024 has to be garnets, right?!? Well how about these stunning lace pendants from the incredible ?!?

We’ve been huge fans of Jenn and her gorgeous designs for years!! With her fantastic, creative use of color she secured her spot on the top of our “dream collaboration” list long ago. (Yes, this list exists…yes, you’re probably on it! 🤩) Needless to say, when the time was finally right to work together, we were over the moon!!

Clearly the end result is nothing short of a dream come true! Spectacular, thoughtful, exquisitely crafted jewelry (the details!!! 😱😱) celebrating a the splendor of fiery garnets. All while collaborating with the loveliest of humans. We. Are. So. Lucky. 💖

Thank you so much, Jenn. We’re so honored to have our gems in your amazing designs.

Happy New Year!!! Wishing you all a healthy, happy, prosperous, and peaceful 2024 🤍✨🤍✨🤍

Looking to gift a little color & joy this holiday?

How about a piece from our ANZA PURE Collection? With the help of the incredibly talented , we created this special capsule collection to celebrate the natural beauty of rough gems. These vibrant green grossular garnets and sweet pink spinel crystals come out of the ground exactly like this - like little morsels of rock candy. They’re perfect just as they are l. Why shouldn’t they be wrapped up in 18kt gold and adorn someone special as a tangible reminder that they are perfect as they are? 💚💖

There’s still plenty of tome time to gift an ANZA whether it be a piece from this PURE Collection (we have rings too!) or any of our other capsule collections, a design from our LIFT Collection (with 100% of the proceeds benefiting East African mining communities), or a gemstone. If you need help or want to see more of what’s online, shoot us a DM. We’re always here for you.

Sorry, are you taking to us? We’re distracted by all this beauty! Incredible Tanzanian spinels alongside a brilliant tourmaline from the DRC all cut by the amazing , all supporting East African mining communities with 10% of their sale benefiting . Could they be anymore, dreamy?

Which one has you mesmerized?

Happy ! So grateful the the encouragement to kick off the holiday season by spreading some joy! Are you participating in today’s gifting?

While there are so many worthy organizations who could use your support, we have to give a special shout out to today. If you’re in the jewelry industry or are a jewelry lover, please consider giving back to mjning communities through this wonderful organization.

Gem Legacy has amazing ongoing initiatives supporting education, prioviding proper mining & safety equipment, offering vocational training scholarships and much more. Scroll to see the important work your donations fund.

But we really love their special holiday initiative to sponsor a child’s Chiristmas at the Mwatate Children’s Home in Kenya. It’s a perfect fit for Guving Tuesday! For $50 you will make a kid’s Christmas dreams come! They’ll receive a backpack or purse and shoes that they get to shop for themselves (that’s a huge deal for these kids! To pick out something special that theirs alone & their own style?!? That is RARE!), a Christmas feast, and a full day of activities and fun. There are 41 kids who you could fill with holiday magic this year. You can even choose who you want to sponsor if you want.

$50 to bring joy and light to a child on Christmas? We’re so in. Will you join us? to donate

(Images courtesy of )

The amazing work does deserves all the amplification! We’re so grateful for this wonderful organization and honored to play a small part. Thanks for all you do!

Here’s more from them & everything your generous donations have helped achieved this year:

Our Annual Report is LIVE! We love sharing stories of the tangible and systemic changes YOU make possible in the lives of artisanal colored gemstone miners and their families. ❤️ To view larger, please visit the link in our bio.

We have many ways to support this holiday season through our Sponsorship Portal. Thank you for considering Gem Legacy in your end of year giving!

From rough to cut - voila! Isn’t this rhodolite garnet dreamy?

If you’re curious about this beauty’s story, we’re always happy to share!

We picked up this piece of rough at our 3rd market day in Tanzania’s Tanga region in November 2019. It was part of a larger parcel of gorgeous raspberry hues rough rhodolite mined by Salma. You might recognize her. Salma is the Secretary General of . She’s a gifted, dedicated leader in Tanzania’s Mining Sector who has played a huge role in the success of and she has the warmest smile that reflects her beautiful heart. is a true gem…and according to , “has the best rhodolites.” 🥰

should know! She’s cut every single rhodolite we ever had (until the recent Chiang Mai Collection). Beth cut this one too - in her signature ANZA cut she’s cut exclusively for us since we started collaborating years ago.

Having these two powerhouse women who have made such a profound impact on ANZA professionally and personally behind it, makes this seemingly simple rhodolite garnet incredibly special. Despite it’s beautiful, almost romantic, feminine energy, this rhodolite represents strong women working together to create change. It’s powerful and bold.

That’s the journey of this gem. For now, that is. Now, we wait to see what will unfold next. Who will be captivated by its brilliance? How will it be set? Who will treasure it for generations to come? We can’t wait to find out.

It’s all about the journey. Each gem’s unique story adds to its beauty. Don’t you think?

Umm…hello!!!! Isn’t this custom design spectacular? 💙😱💙 We’re truly blown away by the outcome of this project…and this one was personal.

When Chloe’s brother Jack mentioned he was going to propose, she immediately thought of this stunning unheated Tanzanian blue sapphire she and picked up from the talented in Kenya for his beloved Natasha. Together, Jack and Chloe reached out to the about a custom design, and the result is beyond everyone’s wildest dreams!

Emily, Natalie, Sam and the entire ECJ team got every detail right — from the glittering marquise diamonds to the ombré blue sapphires sprinkled in to complement the gorgeous center sapphire. Thank you all so much for your impeccable work! What a dream to finally collaborate on such a special project.

Natasha and Jack are getting married TOMORROW, so we thought it was perfect timing to share this incredible ring to celebrate LOVE and a fantastic couple!

Congratulations, & ! We’re so honored to have played a small part in your beautiful story. Wishing you the most wonderful, special day and a lifetime of love and happiness! 💙💙💙

Oh hey, November!! Can’t believe you’re here, but so happy to shine the spotlight on your sweet citrine birthstone. Citrines might not be the most revered gems, but we love them for their cool rough crystal shapes and gorgeous, cheerful color.

Not to mention, that the miners in Tanzania find a fair amount of it, so we’re able to support them by purchasing the citrines they unearth. It’s also worth noting how the market model is a game changer for miners with gems like citrine that take just as much time and effort to mine, but won’t bring in the same revenue as a sapphire, for example. Unlike traditional markets I which miners make a nominal fraction of the export price, in the Moyo model, they are able to take home 95% of the export price.

To us that adds a layer of hope and encouragement to an already optimistic gemstone, and we can’t wait to share more citrine beauties all month long! Happy November!

Hey October…thanks for the opportunity to spend a little more time with your birthstones and soak up their their magnificent beauty. A vibrant, one of a kind tourmaline just moved to the top of our holiday wishlist and none of us are even October babies - just big fans of the marvelous possibilities tourmalines offer. They’re truly spectacular. The only question is…what color?!? Really we’d be thrilled with any of these. What color would you choose?

Natural beauty… it doesn’t get much better than Mother Nature’s delicious rock candy and the incredible vistas where they’re unearthed. Seeing the two side by side serves as a great reminder of the wonder behind each and every gem. That little rock has made a journey of epic proportions to find its way to you. Regardless it’s “value,” it’s a treasure that deserves to be cherished. At least that’s what we believe. Drop a ❤️ in the comments if you agree.

Witnessing the transformation from gorgeous rough to dazzling sparkles never gets old.

Especially when you know the human hands who make the magic happen like with these sapphires. The rough was mined by Suma, Salim, & Mwanaidi along Tanzania’s Umba River Valley and beautifully cut by the talented in Michigan.

Cool, right? We promise to bring you 🎶“more, more, more”🎶 of these transformations, because we absolutely love them, and can’t get enough. Drop a ❤️ in the comments if you feel the same!

The sweetest greens…beautiful and impactful with 10% of their sale benefiting .

What exactly does that 10% donation go towards? Let’s explore some possibilities…

If you purchased the green beryl leaf cut (faceted by ) a tool kit could be provided to a miner needing proper equipment so they may mine safely with more efficiency.

The custom rectangular cushion cut grossular garnet (faceted by ) could feed 6 students at the Kitarini Primary School for a year fueling their academic success.

The unique “yoda” cut grossular garnet (cut by ) might provide a dozen tanzanite miners with potentially life saving masks protecting them from silicosis.

All three? Fund a scholarship for a child at the Mwatate Children’s Home to attend secondary school or almost find a full scholarship to the Gem Faceting School in Arusha, Tanzania.

Don’t these beauties look even sweeter knowing exactly how they might improve lives in East African mining communities? We think so.