What is Tanzanite?
Tanzanite is a blue and violet variety of the mineral zoisite. Discovered in 1967, it quickly became one of the world's most sought-after gemstones. What sets it apart is its extreme rarity: it is sourced from a single, tiny mining area near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Pleochroism
Tanzanite is noted for its remarkably strong pleochroism, meaning it appears sapphire blue, violet, and burgundy depending on crystal orientation. Lapidarists must carefully consider this property when orienting the rough stone for cutting to maximize the desirable blue-violet face-up color.
Durability
With a Mohs hardness of 6.5, Tanzanite requires care when setting in jewelry and should not be subjected to ultrasonic cleaning.
Gallery
