What mineral family is tanzanite?

What mineral family is tanzanite?

epidote mineral group
Tanzanite is the blue and violet variety of the mineral zoisite (a calcium aluminium hydroxyl sorosilicate), caused by small amounts of vanadium. Tanzanite belongs to the epidote mineral group.

What type of gem is tanzanite?

trichoic stone
Tanzanite is a trichoic stone that reflects different colors, ranging from light blues or lilacs to deep indigos and violets. It was discovered in the 1960s and named after Tanzania by Tiffany & Co. The famous jewelry firm declared it to be the most beautiful stone discovered in the last 2,000 years.

Is tanzanite a quartz?

Tanzanite quartz is either clear quartz treated to look like tanzanite–a violet-blue, expensive and rare gemstone–or quartz with a natural color similar to tanzanite’s.

Is tanzanite a sapphire?

Tanzanite Vs Sapphire One big difference between Sapphire and Tanzanite is that Sapphire is naturally blue. Tanzanite is heat treated to be the color it is (in 99% of cases). It normally comes out of the ground a brownish-red color. Another difference between the two stones is that Sapphire is harder than Tanzanite.

What rock is tanzanite found in?

mineral zoisite
From deep in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania comes tanzanite, a gemstone with only a single known source that has become one of the most intriguing and desirable precious gemstones of modern times. It is a variety of the mineral zoisite and varies from blue, to violet, or purple in colour.

Is tanzanite a crystal?

Tanzanite is the blue / violet variety of the mineral species Zoisite. It is a Calcium Aluminium silicate (chemical compositionCa 2 Al 3 Si 3 O 12 (OH) ). It forms in the Orthorhombic crystal system.

What is the species of tanzanite?

There are no species or varieties of tanzanite. Tanzanite is only found in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. Most tanzanite has been heated to change it from a brownish color to the lovely deep blue to violet-blue the gem is famous for.

Is tanzanite a Diamond?

If rarity boosts a gemstone’s value, tanzanite, which is mined from just one source, could be prized for that fact alone. All the world’s tanzanite is sourced from just 8 square miles (20 square kilometers) near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

What is tanzanite made of?

Is Iolite same as tanzanite?

Iolite is occasionally wrongly labelled as Tanzanite – however, Tanzanite is a softer stone. Iolite is much more affordable, and can be a great substitute if you are looking for a gemstone that has a blue similar to Tanzanite’s beautiful blue but on a budget.

Is tanzanite A igneous rock?

Tanzanite develops in fissures of igneous rocks as a secondary mineral through alteration of the minerals, where the surrounding rock is composed….Tanzanite – Zoisite.

Is tanzanite a diamond?