Gemmy Tanzanite (48.48 carats) exhibited at Hangzhou Musuem

Item Description

A classic, untreated gemmy bi-colored tanzanite from Merelani. The crystal has the typical tapered form with a chisel termination and striated faces on the sides. The termination is beautiful gem grading downward with some interior veils. The base is glassy, translucent brown zoisite. Classic blue/purple pleochroism can be seen by rotating the crystal 90 degrees to see the color change. The frontal views of this sharp crystal are a pleasing blue and the end-on views are violet-purple. Rich red is visible down the C-axis with lighting. Complete all-around and nearly pristine. The wilber at the termination is certainly only a very minimal detraction. The specimen was on loan to the Gem Crystals Exhibition at the Hangzhou Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. 48.48 carats or nearly 10 grams mass.