Tanzanite Specimens

Tanzanite Specimens

Interesting little Tanzanite specimens, a rare and typically far more expensive mineral from Tanzania - usually sold as a gemstone.

These are, of course, lower grade pieces. The quality does vary from piece to piece - hence the photos.

Tanzanite should be considered the gem variety of blue/purple Zoisite; these are definitely not a gem grade. They are often mixed with other minerals, particularly Graphite and sometimes Pyrite too.

Now, what not everyone knows is that most Tanzanite is heated to achieve its colours.

We have both unheated and heated pieces - the unheated pieces are natural and may have a blue colour to them, this is from natural heating. Then there's the heated pieces - artificially heated in a lab to produce a more even blue colour.

The pictures you see here are representative of the products and are usually not the exact item you will receive. Where various grades are available we do try to photograph each grade - but some photographs are still on their way!