Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania, in a very small mining area near the Mirerani Hills.
Blue tanzanite was believed to be a gift from the gods. The gemstones were discovered by a group of Masai cattle herders, which is a big part of tanzanite meaning. These tanzanite rocks were noticed before but they appeared to be nothing more than brown rocks. It wasn’t until after they were burned during a brush fire that they revealed their blue-violet crystal tanzanite colour. The brush fire was caused by a lightning strike, which is deeply ingrained in tanzanite meaning.
Tanzanite can also appear differently when viewed under different lighting conditions. The blues appear more evident when subjected to fluorescent light and the violet hues can be seen readily when viewed under incandescent illumination. In its rough state tanzanite is coloured a reddish brown to clear, and it requires heat treatment to remove the brownish "veil" and bring out the blue violet of the stone.
Tanzanite gemstone colours vary, from deep sapphire blue tanzanite to violet or purple-blue tanzanite.
It’s an amazing stone, a popular alternative as an engagement ring or just beautiful everyday jewellery!