Tanzanite

Merelani Hills, Lelatema Mountains, Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, Tanzania

12 cm tall x 6.1 cm wide

Tanzanite has only been found in one place on earth—Tanzania. It is a rare and coveted gemstone. Tanzanite has a very unusual property known as trichroism. To be trichroic a mineral must exhibit three different distinct colors depending upon orientation of the crystal. Tanzanite displays a vivid sapphire blue, deep royal purple/violet and luscious red.

This crystal has a unique, sharply defined, thin blue stripe directly above the purple zone. This is a rare and distinct feature.

This specimen was featured in our Illumination exhibition.