Poised between lush blue, vibrant violet, and rich purple, exotic tanzanite is found in only one place on earth, near majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tanzanite is a striking violet-blue to blue-violet variety of the mineral zoisite, exclusively mined in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania, from which it derives its name.

One of tanzanite’s most distinctive features is its pleochroism, the ability to display different colours when viewed from different angles within the crystal. This property was first documented in scientific literature shortly after tanzanite's discovery. In 1969, American Mineralogist described its pleochroic colors as ranging from red-violet and deep blue to yellow-green. Most tanzanites are now heat-treated to eliminate or diminish the yellow-green or brownish hues, enhancing the blue and violet tones.

High-quality tanzanite can exhibit a rich violetish-blue, akin to the colour of fine sapphires, or a unique predominantly violet shade. Depending on the orientation chosen by the cutter, some stones may also show more purplish hues. When a tanzanite is gently rocked and tilted, both the violet and blue pleochroic colors become visible, making each gem a blend of these hues. The final face-up colour of tanzanite is influenced by the original rough's colour, its size, the pleochroic colours emphasized by the cutter, and the lighting conditions. Cool lighting, such as daylight or fluorescent light, highlights the blue tones, while warm lighting, like incandescent light, enhances the violet-to-purple shades.

As with other coloured gemstones, vivid and strongly-coloured tanzanite’s are highly prized. However, lighter pastel tanzanite’s, while more common and affordable, offer their own subtle charm.