Tanzanite

Tanzanite can only be found in Merelani, Tanzania where it was discovered in 1967.  Tanzanite was named by Tiffany & Company after its country of origin, and was introduced to the world market in 1968 with a large scale marketing campaign that made tanzanite almost instantly popular.  The attractive hue and exclusivity of Tanzanite has made it a highly desired gemstone ever since.

Tanzanite is a blue variety of zoisite which is generally found as a greenish crystal and then heat treated to produce colors ranging from violet-blue to blue-purple or even pure blue. This mixing of colors is because Tanzanite is “pleochroic”- displaying different colors from different crystal angles. Tanzanite is only 6 -7 on the MOH’s hardness scale and requires extra care due to its softness.