Tanzanite

Tanzanite is considered one of the most captivating gemstones in the world. It is a variety of the mineral zoisite in the mineral group epidote. It is thought to be formed from a combination of heat and pressure during tectonic activities that occured 585 million years ago. The formation is associated with the presence of metamorphic rocks and interaction of fluids rich in elements like vanadium, chromium, and manganese. It is rare due to limited area it is found.

Species: variety of epidote♦ Chemistry: Ca2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH) ♦ Color: blue-violet shades ♦ Cleavage: good ♦ Transparency: transparent to translucent ♦ Luster: vitreous to subadamantine ♦ Crystal System: orthorhombic ♦ Moh's Hardness: 6.5-7 ♦ Localities: Merelani Hills, northern Tanzania