Meaning & symbolism
Tanzanite is the transparent blue to violet variety of zoisite, an orthorhombic calcium aluminium silicate coloured by traces of vanadium. It shows strong pleochroism (blue, violet and, before heating, a brownish or yellow green), looks bluer in daylight and more violet under warm light, and is almost always gently heated. It is mined commercially only in the Merelani Hills near Arusha, Tanzania, where it was found in 1967. Tiffany & Co. named and launched it in 1968, and it became a December birthstone in 2002.
Healing properties
Geology
- Zoisite, Ca2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH), orthorhombic
- Hardness 6 to 7, one perfect cleavage
- Specific gravity about 3.35
- Refractive index about 1.69 to 1.70
- Strongly trichroic, coloured by vanadium
How to use it
Traditionally held or worn for meditation, journaling and intuitive work, and linked with the third eye, throat and crown chakras. Best kept for quiet moments rather than hard daily wear. These are traditional uses, not medical advice.
Cleansing & care
Hardness 6 to 7 with one perfect cleavage and sensitivity to sudden temperature changes. Clean only with warm soapy water and a soft brush; no ultrasonic or steam cleaning, no salt. Store in its own pouch, away from sapphire, diamond and quartz, which can scratch it.
Questions & answers
No. Tanzanite is a variety of zoisite and sapphire is corundum. They can look alike, but tanzanite is softer, lighter and shifts between blue and violet as you tilt it.
