Large Tanzanite from Tanzania

A large crystalline Tanzanite from the Merelani Hills in Tanzania, with the typical deep blue to violet color intensity. The prismatic columns show the longitudinal striation characteristic of zoisite.

Tanzanite is the blue to violet colored variety of the mineral zoisite. It is a calcium aluminum hydroxysilicate. The coloration is created by traces of vanadium in the crystal lattice and is developed from originally brownish-green raw material through controlled heat treatment. A gemologically accepted procedure.

The deposit in the Merelani Hills at the foot of Kilimanjaro is the only known source for Tanzanite worldwide. Tiffany & Co. recognized the material in 1967 and marketed it under the name Tanzanite. Geologists estimate that the deposit will be depleted in two to three decades. This already influences its collector's value.

Tanzanite exhibits pronounced pleochroism. Depending on the viewing angle, the stone appears blue, violet, or reddish-brown. In a crystal of this gallery size, the effect is particularly impressively visible.

A collector's item with gemological rarity and geopolitical finiteness, suitable for collectors who focus on depleted deposits.