Tanzanite

Asher Natural Tanzanite
Three Stone Pendant

December Birthstone

Tanzanite is a purple-blue variety of zoisite related to pink thulite. Depending on the angle at which it is viewed, tanaznite can take on many shades from blue through purple. It is usually heat treated to improve its colour (when newly mined it is brown). It is rather brittle and needs to be treated carefully.

Discovery of tanzanite took place in 1967 near the Tanzanian town of Arusha (close to Mount Kilimanjaro) and the gem was named after its country of origin. It is claimed that it was discovered when lightning caused a fire and heated the raw brown stones.

Tanzanite became popular following marketing by Tiffany & co. In 2002 the stone was added by Jewelers of America as one of the December birthstones.

Natural tanzanite is only found in East Africa and its scarcity makes it valuable. However it is also possible to buy synthetic tanzanite and tanzanite imitations.

Because tanzanite is such a new gemstone there is little myth or lore associated with it. The Maasi tribes of Tanzania are said to consider it to be connected wth birth and give it as a gift on the birth of the first child. For this reason is is being marketed as a stone to be given newborn children regardless of their date of birth.