Tanzanite

Tanzanite is a variety of the mineral zoisite. Its rich purples and blues often have a depth comparable to the finest sapphire. Paler tanzanite has a delicate periwinkle color. Tanzanite is mined only one place in the world: Meralani in Tanzania, in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanite shares birthstone status with blue zircon for the month of December.
Enhancement - Care and Cleaning - Lore and History - Special Characteristics

Enhancement

Virtually all tanzanite is heated to bring out the blue color.
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Care and Cleaning

Tanzanite jewelry is a little more delicate than other gemstone jewelry and should not be set in a ring that will be worn during strenuous activity. The hardness of tanzanite is 5.5-6.0 on the Mohs scale, similar to opal. When repairs are done to tanzanite jewelry, the stone must be removed because it could shatter in the heat of a torch. Try to avoid direct impact to the gemstone. Clean with warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush. Store tanzanite separately from other jewelry and gemstones, to protect it from abrasion.
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Lore and History

Tanzanite's name is a tribute to this gem's only known source in Tanzania. It was discovered in 1967 and named after the country of its birth by Tiffany & Co, who introduced the gemstone to the world market in 1969.

Legend has it that the affect of heat, changing brown zoisite to blue, was first discovered when some brown crystals laying on the ground with other rocks were caught in a fire set by lightning that swept through the grass-covered Meralani hills northeast of the town of Arusha. The Masai herders who drive cattle in the area noticed the beautiful blue color and picked the crystals up, becoming the first tanzanite collectors.
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Special Characteristics

The source of its mesmerizing color is that tanzanite is trichroic: that is, it shows different colors when viewed in different directions. One direction is blue, another purple, and another bronze, adding subtle depths to the color. Tanzanites which are blue tend to be more expensive than purpler ones because the crystals tend to form with the blue color axis oriented along the width of the crystal instead of the length. That means that if the cutter chooses to maximize the purity of the blue color, the stone cut from the rough will be smaller and will cost more per carat. The blue color, however, is so beautiful, that the sacrifice is often worth it.
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