Tanzanite (original) (raw)

About TanzaniteHide

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A variety of Zoisite

A gem variety of zoisite with a blue to blue-violet colour. The colour is due to the incorporation of trace amounts of vanadium cations (V4+ absorption band increased at 380 nm, V3+ absorption band at 350 nm decreased with heating).

Note that a significant percentage of tanzanite crystals on the market have been heat-treated (400-500°C) to produce or enhance this colour, many are originally brown or pale grey (Hurlbut 1969; see photo to the right). A red tint seen looking down the _c_-axis is a good indication that the crystal colouration is natural. Note also that tanzanion is used as a synthetic simulant for tanzanite.

Natural and heat-treated tanzanite is strongly pleochroic (Hurlbut 1969). The photo to the right shows a single crystal viewed from different directions.

First reported from the Merelani Hills (Mererani), Tanzania.

Unique IdentifiersHide

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Mindat ID:

3885 (as Tanzanite)
4430 (as Zoisite)

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:3885:6 (as Tanzanite)
mindat:1:1:4430:7 (as Zoisite)

312fc5d9-cf2e-44b7-a03b-763089a63b47 (as Tanzanite)
bd105552-3fbc-48ef-9583-56d3ecdd9905 (as Zoisite)

Pronunciation of TanzaniteHide

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Pronunciation:

Synonyms of TanzaniteHide

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Other Language Names for TanzaniteHide

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Common AssociatesHide

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Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

Other InformationHide

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Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for TanzaniteHide

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References for TanzaniteHide

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Reference List:

Wilson, Wendell E., Saul, John M., Pardieu, Vincent, Hughes, Richard W. (2009) Famous mineral localities: The Merelani Tanzanite Mines, Lelatema Mountains, Arusha Region, Tanzania. The Mineralogical Record, 40 (5) 346-408

Bačík, Peter, Wildner, Manfred, Cempírek, Jan, Škoda, Radek, Cibula, Peter, Vaculovič, Tomáš (2023) The position of vanadium in the crystal structure of zoisite, variety tanzanite: Structural refinement, optical absorption spectroscopy and bond-valence calculations. Mineralogical Magazine, 87 (4) 599-610 doi:10.1180/mgm.2023.48

Localities for TanzaniteHide

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This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

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