Zoisite

specimen number:
2262365

location:
Merelani, Siminjaro, Manyara, Tanzania

description:

A sharp terminated glassy translucent crystal of zoisite, the variety known as tanzanite. In good condition.

The Merelani Hills, located in the Simanjiro District of the Manyara Region in Tanzania, have a rich history of gemstone mining that began with the discovery of gem-quality zoisite in the late 1960s. Geologically, the area is situated within the Mozambique Belt, a major Pan-African metamorphic terrane characterized by intensely folded and faulted Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks, including graphite-bearing gneisses and marbles. The formation of the rare blue and violet variety of zoisite, known commercially as tanzanite, occurred under high-grade metamorphic conditions followed by complex hydrothermal fluid circulation along structural fractures and shear zones, which concentrated vanadium and other trace elements necessary for its distinctive coloration.

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