Tanzanite is the mineral zoisite discovered some 20 years ago in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in east Africa i.e. in Tanzania. This exciting violet gem has become very popular. Tanzanite is a tri-chroic gem, meaning that it has 3 colors. When mined it is violet, blue, and brown, depending on the viewing axis.
 Tanzanite is an extraordinary gemstone. It occurs in only one place worldwide. Its blue, surrounded by a fine hint of purple, is altogether a wonderful colour. The gemstone is named after the East African state of Tanzania, the only place in the world where it has been found. Africa is a continent, which provides the world with a multitude of truly magnificent gemstones, like tanzanite for example. On its discovery in 1967, the specialists willingly celebrated it as the `gemstone of the 20th century`. The precious crystals grew in deposits on the inside of these unusual elevations.
Unlike many other gemstones, tanzanite does not have a mystical ancient history. It was first found in the late 1960`s. Very few stones are trichroic and this is what makes Tanzanites very easy to identify. Trichroic refers to three layers of color. The more common layers are blues and purples but you may also see flashes of red, green, yellow, orange, or brown. The color that gemologists predominantly speak of is the `deep royal blue`. It should be kept in mind that most Tanzanites have a distinct shift in color with different types of lighting. But because of its fragility Tanzanite is not appropriate for making jewelries.
The Tanzanites should be purchased carefully. The ston should be cleaned first as because dirt and fingerprints hide color and brilliance. The stone fade up against a variety of backgrounds. It should be looked straight down at it against a white background and checked if the center of the stone is pale and washed out. After that it should be examined against a black background. Then it should be compared that there are same colors or not. The stone should be examined with different lighting such as natural versus synthetic lighting.
Just like some other precious gemstones, Tanzanite is also believed to have some curative powers. It gives expel to extra mental pressure and makes a person feel calmer. At the same time, Tanzanite is supposed to exacerbate a person`s creative energy. All these qualities together make Tanzanite a fascinating gemstone as well.
Other Gemstones
Gemstones for Planets
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