Natural Unheated Tanzanite Crystal Specimen Pleochroic Blue Violet, Merelani Hills Tanzania, 22.5ct

What I love about this particular Tanzanite is the colour. At first glance, there’s a beautiful blue running through the crystal, but turn it in the light and you start seeing violet, purple and even golden-yellow. It’s a lovely example of the pleochroism that makes natural, unheated Tanzanite so interesting to collect. The video really shows this off better than the photographs can. This piece comes from the Merelani Hills in Tanzania and weighs 4.5g (22.5 carats).

It’s quite an unusual shape too, with a broad, slightly bladed crystal and a sloping termination. There are some lovely growth lines running down the faces, and enough transparency in places to see the inclusions and fractures inside. The upper surfaces are a little irregular, so it’s certainly not a flawless specimen, but I think there’s plenty to appreciate here. For me, it’s the contrast between the cooler blue-violet sections and the warmer golden areas that makes this one stand out. It’s the sort of Tanzanite you can keep turning over in your hand and notice something different each time.

Specifications

• Mineral: Tanzanite (Zoisite)
• Locality: Merelani Hills, Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, Tanzania
• Weight: 4.5g (22.5 carats)
• Measures: 2.2 x 1.6 x 0.8cm (approx.)
• Colour: Blue-violet, lavender-purple and golden-yellow, with warmer amber tones under certain viewing conditions
• Optical Properties: Pronounced pleochroism with natural colour zoning
• Treatment: Natural, unheated
• Crystal Formation: Broad, slightly bladed prismatic crystal with a sloping, irregular upper termination
• Transparency: Translucent to transparent in areas
• Lustre: Vitreous
• Condition: Natural growth striations, visible internal fractures and inclusions, with irregular upper crystal surfaces and possible localised edge damage

Metaphysical Properties

Tanzanite is traditionally associated with intuition, communication, self-expression and personal transformation. Its blue and violet colours are believed by crystal enthusiasts to encourage clarity of thought, emotional awareness and a greater sense of perspective. These associations come from traditional crystal beliefs and are not scientifically proven.

Specifications

• Mineral: Tanzanite (Zoisite)
• Locality: Merelani Hills, Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, Tanzania
• Weight: 11.3g (56.5 carats)
• Measures: 3.1 x 1.9 x 1.3cm (approx.)
• Colour: Violet-purple, blue-violet and golden-yellow, with occasional coppery reflections
• Optical Properties: Pronounced pleochroism (trichroism)
• Treatment: Natural, unheated
• Crystal Formation: Prismatic crystal with longitudinal growth striations and an irregular upper termination
• Transparency: Translucent to transparent in areas
• Lustre: Vitreous
• Condition: Preserved natural growth faces, visible internal fractures and inclusions, with irregular upper surfaces

Metaphysical Properties

Tanzanite is traditionally associated with intuition, communication, spiritual awareness and personal transformation. Its violet and blue colours are believed to encourage clarity of thought, emotional balance and self-expression. These associations come from traditional crystal beliefs and are not scientifically proven.