Zultanite, Csarite And Diaspore – What is The Difference?

There is one gemstone that seems to be making a big entrance into the global gemstone market and it’s called Zultanite. Zultanite is causing some confusion because while it is the mineral Diaspore there are some important differences that need to be explained. Customers are asking us “isn’t it just Diaspore”, “Why don’t you sell Zultanite” and “You have color change Diaspore but not Zultanite. How come?”

First let’s have a closer look at the mineral Diaspore.

Article Summary

• Zultanite and Csarite are both the mineral Diaspore
• Zultanite and Csarite are the trademarked names given to the best Quality color change Diaspore that only comes from Turkey.
• Diaspore from other locations cannot be called Zultanite or Csarite.

Diaspore

Diaspore was first discovered in 1801 in Russia. The first discoveries where of a small amount of included material with more deposits found of facet grade material. The name Diaspore comes for the Greek word “diaspora” meaning to scatter. It was called this because of the way the gemstone seemed to scatter the light and sparkle.

Diaspore has a unique color changing ability. It is one fo the few color change gemstones in the world along with Sapphires, garnets and Alexandrite. Diaspore is generally a yellowish green color in fluorescent light and it changes to a reddish pink color in incandescent light. The gem can look like both of these colors at the same time depending what type of light is hitting it.

Diaspore is a very durable gemstone with a hardness of 6.5 – 7 on the MOHS scale. This puts it in the same ball park as Tanzanite or Perdiot. Since Diaspore has perfect cleavage in one direction it can be difficult to cut because parts of the stone will cleave off.

Since 1801 when it was first discovered there have been numerous deposits found. It can now be found in the USA (Arizona and Pennsylvania), New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, the UK and China. You will notice that I have left Turkey off this list. The Diaspore that comes from Turkey is special. Let’s take a look.

Zultanite and Csarite

There is a deposit of Diaspore in Turkey that is unlike any other deposit. It has incredible color changing properties with up to three distinct colors visible at any one time. The mine in Turkey is owned by a man named Murat Akgun. It is his company who has introduced the gemstones of Zultanite and Csarite to the world. The names have been derived from the tsars of Turkey.

In 1997 the first Zultanite was cut from the mine in Turkey. In 2005 the name Zultanite was unveiled to the world. After a few years of trying to market this name Murat found it difficult. The name just didn’t catch on. In 2012 the name Zultanite was dropped and a new name rose from the ashes. The new name for this gemstone is Csarite.

Zultanite, now known as Csarite, is mined in a bauxite rich deposit in the Anatolian Mountains of central Turkey. The beauty of this gemstones is that is comes from a single source, much like Tanzanite. It is natural, untreated and has one of the most amazing color changing characteristics of any natural gemstone.

So Zultanite and Csarite ARE Diaspore

Yes and no. You must understand that Zultanite and Csarite are trademarked names and belong to a brand. While the mineral is Diaspore, there are some major differences.

It is mined in one location only ensuring ethical distribution

Each gemstone is beautifully cut and graded to ensure only the best quality gems will be able to carry the name Zultanite or Csarite

Zultanite and Csarite can only be purchased from selected distributers that are hand selected. If someone tried to sell you Csarite ask them for their certificate of representation before purchasing.

An Analogy For The Turkish Delight

Lets take a Big Mac for example made by McDonalds. This is Zultanite or Csarite. If you were to create the exact same burger at home and tried to sell it you could not call it a Big Mac. That name is trademarked and given only to a burger who is made under strict guidelines using specific ingredients. Diaspore and Zultanite / Csarite are exactly the same. If you have a Diaspore that looks exactly the same as Zultanite or Csarite it is not able to be called that because it did not come from the company who produces that gem.

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