Zoisite var. Tanzanite

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Choice example of the classic, gem-quality tanzanites from the famous Merelani Hills location, the world's only source of such crystals. This 5g crystal is GEMMY and lustrous, and the few areas of contact simply get lost among the glassy, highly-reflective faces of this flashy thumbnail. The predominant blues and purples, classic colors for a tanzanite, show beautifully as you rotate the crystal in the light. The classic blue-purple color you see here is a color is most likely helped by heat treatment from the overall look at it. Subtle details catch our eye and we cannot say it is natural mine color or heated - as they are heated for gem rough evaluation, even there at the source. But, the market also accepts heated tanzanites, and most such crystals are heated if they only show blue-purple tones. In some cases, like this, it is hard to say. An alluring gem crystal of this rare species, it is even better in person.