Jewellery - Tanzanite

Tanzanite, a form of Zoisite, was discovered in 1967 and has only ever been found in East Africa, making it quite rare. Tanzanite can be blue, though the best stones are a bright blue-violet, and it became the official birthstone for the month of December in 2002. It is somewhat brittle, so care must be taken when wearing it.

Masai legend has it that this stone was discovered after a lightning storm set fire to the savannah, turning an exposed patch of brown Zoisite crystals into luxurious Tanzanite. The stone is therefore often heat-treated to intensify the colour, but can be found naturally as well.

The Masai tribes also consider Tanzanite to be the stone of birth, and it has become tradition for a Masai man to present this stone to his wife on the birth of their first child – a tradition which has since spread to the Western World as well.

No jewellery using Tanzanite is currently available.