Your guide to tanzanite
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tanzanite
Tanzanite is a fantastic blue variety of the gem zoisite. The largest crystal found over 16,000 carats however large pieces are rare and mostly smaller gems are found.
Tanzanite takes its name from Tanzania where it was originally found in 1967. it was made famous by tiffany’s jewellers who renamed it tanzanite over its original name blue zoisite. As with many stones the colour is sometimes improved by heat treatments.
As with many other gemstones inclusions are derogatory to the gems value and should be avoided. Due to the fact this stone is currently only found in one location the price is high as is the demand. You can expect to pay handsomely for a good specimen.
One of the most famous examples is on display in the natural history museum in Washington DC, USA. It is 122 carats and has been named “The Midnight Blue.” However the largest rough crystal ever found weighs in excess of 16,000 carats.
Fake tanzanite, called tanzanique is available, and only trained professional would be able to tell the difference.
