Zoisite var: Tanzanite

Item Description

Tanzanite is the purple/blue variety of the mineral Zoisite, which gets its color from vanadium cations. The only place in the world where Tanzanite has been found is in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. This piece is a beautiful thumbnail sized piece with very lustrous, sharp, well-formed faces, showing a beautiful blue color along the "a" axis, and when you turn the crystal 90 degree and look down the "b" axis, you'll see a wonderful purple color. Additionally, if you use a strong light and backlight the crystal along the "c" axis, you'll see tiny pink flashes. I'm pretty certain this crystal is unheated, as I can see some golden hues, and when Tanzanite crystals are heated, all of the yellow and pink colors get "cooked out", so it's really refreshing to see such a beautiful natural crystal like this. There are few minerals that display multi-color pleochroism like Tanzanite, and this piece is a great example of said material. The piece is in superb condition, the only damage is on the base where it was removed from the pocket wall, and 99% of all Tanzanite crystals are contacted on the bottom, it's just the nature of the material. If you've always wanted a good quality unheated Tanzanite for your collection, then don't pass this one up for a great price. The piece weighs 5.75 grams.