Description
Tanzanite is a variety of zoisite and is named after Tanzania. Although the Tanzanian people had known the stone for a long time, tanzanite was not discovered for gemological purposes until 1967 by an Indian prospector, Manuel de Souza. He initially thought he had found a sapphire deposit. Tanzanite was then described as a variety of zoisite by the German Geological Society. The stone became particularly famous as a piece of jewelry worn by film star Elizabeth Taylor. Today, tanzanite is one of the most prized gemstones. Tanzanites are found in the Merelani Hills region (also called Meralani, Merarani, or Mererani Hills), near Arusha and Moshi in Tanzania. They form prismatic crystals with distinctive vertical grooves and occur in pegmatic-hydrothermal veins. The Smithsonian Institute in Washington holds beautiful rough and cut tanzanites. Literature describes a cut stone weighing 122.7 carats and a tanzanite cat's eye weighing over 200 carats. Tanzanites are used in all forms of jewelry. Sometimes the color can be enhanced by heating to 400-500 degrees Celsius.
Tanzanite
