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What Is Green Tanzanite?

What Is Green Tanzanite? thumbnail
What Is Green Tanzanite?

Tanzanite was discovered near Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro in 1967 and has since become one of the most popular gemstones on the market. Green tanzanite is a very rare variety of the gemstone, which is typically a brilliant shade of blue. Does this Spark an idea?

  1. The Mineral

    • Tanzanite is a variety of the mineral zoisite, which is a calcium aluminum silicate and part of the epidote group of minerals.

    Color

    • In nature, tanzanite crystals are a shade of blue-burgundy. When tanzanite is used for gemstones, it is artificially heated to 450 degrees Celsius, which enhances its color. Usually, the stones are a vibrant blue due to the presence of the element vanadium. Occasionally, tanzanite is green due to chromium in the stone.

    Durability

    • Tanzanite is often compared to sapphire, but it is much more fragile. Tanzanite ranks at 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, compared to 9 for sapphire and 10 for diamond.

    Origins

    • According to ThaiGem.com, Tanzanite is mined at only one location in the world, approximately eight square miles in Merelani, Tanzania, where the deposits are found in metamorphic rocks.

    Fun Fact

    • In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association added tanzanite to the official list of birthstones for the month of December. It was the first time the list had been amended since 1912.

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  • Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images

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