Tanzanite is another gem that was discovered in the 1960’s in East Africa.

It is found in Merelani, Tanzania, which is by the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 19,341ft above sea level.

Tanzanite is the gem form of the mineral zoisite and is trichroic in its natural, unheated state, meaning that each axis of the crystal displays a different color.

The stones are then usually heated to remove the brownish components, leaving the blue and violet-purples visible.

Tanzanite is one of the birthstone choices for December and celebrates the 24th Anniversary.

We have many more shapes and sizes available in Tanzanite – please contact us if you don’t find what you are looking for in our online inventory.

Here is a link to GIA’s Buyer’s Guide to Sapphires:

https://www.gia.edu/tanzanite