Tanzanite is an exotic, vivid blue, kissed by purple hues. Legend has it that tanzanite was first discovered when some brown gemstone crystals lying on the dry earth were caught in a fire set by lightning that swept through the grass-covered hills. The Masai herders driving cattle in the area noticed the beautiful blue color and picked the crystals up, becoming the first tanzanite collectors.
Tanzanite has the beauty, rarity and durability to rival any gemstone. It is the ultimate prize of a gemstone safari. Tanzanite is mined only in Tanzania at the feet of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. More information on Tanzanite can be found here. 
 
FACTS
MINERAL: Zoisite
CHEMISTRY: Ca2Al3(SiO4)3(OH)
COLOR: Blue to violet to bluish purple
REFRACTIVE INDEX: 1.691 to 1.700
BIREFRINGENCE: 0.008 to 0.013
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 3.35
MOHS HARDNESS: 6 to 7

-Source AGTA, GIA

$80.83