Tanzanite, a beautiful gemstone that ranges from the velvety cobalt blue to the deepest shade of purple, was only recently discovered in Tanzania, Eastern Africa, in 1967. New York’s Tiffany & Co. named this stone Tanzanite, after the country of its origin, and was the first company to introduce it to the rest of the world in 1969. Tanzanite is found only in Tanzania, making it extremely rare and valuable. A good quality Tanzanite is second only to diamonds.

African folklore says that Tanzanite helps to slow down and mellow out intense individuals who deal with pressure on a regular basis. It allows them to lead more productive and less stressful lives by keeping them more organized and more sensitive to the people around them. Tanzanite acts as an elixir to one’s soul; elevating one’s mood and freeing one from negative habits. It restores balance to an individual by making sure one is not overly bossy and demanding, and at the same time ensuring that one is not being taken advantage of. It is believed that owning a Tanzanite will bring luck and fortune to its bearer.

Tanzanite shows different colors when viewed in different directions. Blue, purple, and bronze are the three main colors that make up Tanzanite, adding subtle depths to its beautiful color. When Tanzanite is first found in the ground, it is mostly bronze. However, when Tanzanite is heated, the blue color begins to bloom and intensify, transforming the brown hues of the mineral Zoisite to the mesmerizing lavender and blue colors of Tanzanite. This treatment is stable and permanent.

Legend has it that this incredible effect of heat was first discovered when brown zoisite crystals laying on the ground with other rocks were caught in a fire set by lightning that swept through the grassy hills northeast of Tanzania. The Masai herders of Tanzania who were traveling in the region were the first ones to notice the brilliance and luminosity of the newly formed blue colored crystals, becoming the very first Tanzanite collectors.

The blue variety of Tanzanite is more expensive than the purple variety, and therefore can usually be seen in Tanzanite gems over 4 carats. Tanzanite jewelry is a little more delicate and fragile than other gemstone jewelry and should not be worn during strenuous activity.

Today, Tanzanite remains one of the newest, most exciting, and most popular gemstones in the industry, completely transforming the jewelry world with its new colors, varieties, and variations. This gemstone is mined in only one place in the entire world. It is becoming extremely rare due to the exhaustion of the mines and will soon disappear altogether.