Tanzanite, a rare gem from the foot of Kilimanjaro.

Colours
Tanzanite is famous for its beautiful blues with hints of purples, it is also possible to find them with green hints too. Its colour range goes from a light ultra marine blue to a pale violet blue. Natural Tanzanite tends to have a brownish yellow tint when mined so when the stone is cut it will be heated to remove the tint, allowing Tanzanites famous blue and purple colours to become most prominent.

Physical Properties
Tanzanite is the blue form of Zoisite which is also found in Tanzania. Tanzanite is not the hardest of gemstones ranking between 6.5 -7 on the Mohs scale. Due to its hardness, care must be taken with Tanzanite. It must be guarded against knocks and should never be placed in an ultrasonic cleaner, this can crack it. Care should also be taken not to expose it to acidic substances as these can cause damage.