Zoisite (var: Tanzanite) (UN-heated crystal!)

Item Description

Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral Zoisite, and the only place in the world where it has been found is in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. Tanzanite gets is color from the presence of vanadium, but a lot of people don't realize that most of the Tanzanite crystals you see on the market have been heated in order to enhance their color (typically producing a strong blue color). Here we have a fantastic UN-heated crystal showing a gorgeous combination of colors starting with a gemmy soft yellow hue on the termination that grades into a rich purple tone on the rest of the prism when viewed from the "a" axis, but when you turn the crystal 90 degree and look down the "b" axis, you'll see a rich blue color. Additionally, if you use a strong light and backlight the crystal along the "c" axis, you'll see there is a beautiful rose colored hue, another good sign that the crystal is unheated. 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. Interestingly, if you take the crystal out in the sunlight, the yellow tone on the termination becomes lighter and nearly colorless in areas, so the crystal will show different hues in different lighting temperatures. Not only is this a top notch unheated crystal, but it genuinely has some of the best luster I've seen on a Tanzanite crystal. It almost looks "wet", it's so glassy in certain spots. The piece is in superb condition, the only damage is on the base where, but 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 38.81 grams. Priced in our inventory at $6,000.