Tanzanite owes its name to its sole country of extraction: Tanzania. Discovered in 1967, this fine stone from the zoisite family is a newcomer to the jewelry world. Nonetheless, it is highly appreciated by jewelers and jewelry lovers the world over. Its blue shades ranging up to violet and its brilliance make it just as beautiful as a first-class sapphire. Its colors and distinctive radiance are awakening designers’ imaginations. Ultramarine and sapphire blue form the finest specimens. Tanzanite gems are rare and fragile; they are generally small in size. It is, however, possible to find some of considerable weight, verging on 50 carats.
Tanzanite presents a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale.