Zoisite var: Tanzanite (doubly-terminated)

Item Description

Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral Zoisite, found only in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. It is not only one of the most popular gems in the world, but fine crystals are fast becoming some of the most desirable gem crystals in the world. This piece is a beautiful, sharp, lustrous, gemmy Tanzanite crystal from the famous D-Block Mine. The crystal doubly-terminated, which is rare for Tanzanites, as they are often broken on the base where the were removed from the pocket wall. This piece is notably tapered on the terminations and exhibits slight pleochroism with a fine light hue when viewed from the front / "a" axis, and then purple can be seen when looking across the "b" axis. The ends of the piece are a very pale hue, while the center has a much more saturated color. One corner of the piece is contacted, presumably where it was attached to the pocket wall, but there was enough room for both ends to terminate on the other side of the piece, making this is fairly rare example of this beloved material. Specimen weight is 8.12 grams.