Discovered in 1967 in northeast Tanzania, and christened "Tanzanite" by Tiffany & Co in 1968, Tanzanite is a remarkably beautiful gem whose mineralogical name is "Zoisite", specifically Blue Zoisite.
Design by Sharon Curtis-Gal of The Gem Vault
Tanzanite, was named as such because the only deposit that produces most of these Blue Zoisite gemstones is found in northern Tanzania. It wasn't until the 60's that enough of it was discovered in order to make it a commercially popular gem. And it took decades more for it to gain even more widespread popularity.
As mining went from small-scale digging to major commercial operations, Tanzanite became more readily available, but it has always remained a rare gem. In fact, Tanzanite may only be accessible for a limited time: our current lifetime.
Design by Jason Baskin of The Gem Vault
It can be easy to forget how limited some gems are. But now the famous Paraiba Tourmaline deposits are mined out; The Russian Demantoid Garnet deposits are mined out. Very little or no material remains available from these gemstone deposits. And Tanzanite is close behind.
At The Gem Vault we do our best to always have a few fine specimens of each colored gemstone in-store or accessible through our network of international stone dealers. Tanzanite won't be around forever, and is one more unique gem we recommend collecting now before it's too late!