Mined only in Tanzania, in the shadows of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzanite’s beauty, rarity, and durability rivals other gemstones. The first gemstone added to the birthstone list since 1912, Tanzanite was first discovered by Masai herders who picked up the beautiful blue crystals after they were caught in a fire set by lightning. The fire turned the normally brown zoisite crystals (mineral tanzanite) into the exotic blue and purple hues that caught the attention of the jewelry market. Tiffany & Co named and rapidly promoted the stone, honoring its origins by calling it Tanzanite instead of by its mineral name blue zoisite (which they thought sounded too much like blue suicide).
Tanzanite is trichroic which means that it shows three different colors when viewed in different directions. It is rarely a pure blue and often has an overcast of purple and bronze hues when looked at from different angles, adding depths to its color and an assortment of tonal qualities. Typically bronze when found in the ground, gentle heating deepens the color in the stone and brings out the velvety blue and purple colors. Tanzanite occurs in other color varieties including yellow, golden-brown and green.
