What Is Tanzanite?In gemology, stones are divided into species and variety, according to Brenda Harwick, Gemological Institute of America (GIA) senior manager of gemology instruction, and tanzanite is a variety of the species zoisite.
It is considered a gemstone , which means it has a specific chemical composition, is natural and is inorganic.
In other words, it's a calcium aluminum hydroxy silicate.Where Is Tanzanite Found?Tanzanite is found in one place on Earth — Tanzania .
In fact, some estimates have tanzanite at 1,000 times rarer than diamonds.It may be hundreds of millions of years old, but the gem was first brought to the attention of humans in 1967, according to the website for Cape Town-New York jeweler Shimansky.
Legend says tanzanite was first discovered either by a Masai tribesman (the Masai are an ethnic group living in northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania) who first noticed the bright blue crystals and contacted Manuel de Souza, an Indian tailor and prospector, or else it was found by de Souza himself.What Does Tanzanite Look Like?Tanzanite is known and appreciated for its pure blue or blue-violet color, which is similar to sapphire.
So better stones have more intense color and will weigh 5 carats or more.