Tanzanite

What is Tanzanite?

Tanzanite is the blue to violet variety of Zoisite, a calcium aluminum silicate from the epidote group. Its color comes from tiny traces of vanadium in the crystal lattice. The stone formed hundreds of millions of years ago deep underground, when limestone and clay rich rocks were reshaped under high pressure and temperature during the mountain building around what is now Kilimanjaro. In its rough state most material is reddish brown; heating shifts the color to the familiar blue-violet. With a hardness of 6 to 7 Tanzanite is reasonably sturdy, but she cleaves easily in one direction and therefore handles a sharp knock poorly.

Meaning and History of Tanzanite

The name of the mineral Zoisite refers to Sigmund Zois, a Slovenian patron and collector who had the material examined in the late eighteenth century. The blue variety was only found in 1967, in the Merelani Hills near Arusha. According to the best known account, Maasai herders picked the first blue crystals off the ground after a fire had swept across the plain and the heat had changed the color of the brown rock. Jeweler Tiffany & Co. brought the stone to market a year later and coined the name Tanzanite, after its country of origin. Blue Zoisite simply did not sound appealing commercially. In 2002 Tanzanite was officially added as a December birthstone. Today she symbolizes transformation and honest insight.

Physical Properties Tanzanite

On a physical level, Tanzanite is sought out mainly by people whose tension settles in the upper body: a tight neck, raised shoulders, a jaw that will not let go in the evening. In the crystal world the stone is associated with release in exactly that area, the zone between heart and head where so many unspoken words remain stuck. Those who wear her often describe how their breathing drops lower into the body and how their attention stops circling. Tanzanite is also linked with recovering after a period of overstimulation. Not as a stimulant, but as a stone that invites you to shift down a gear. Place her on your nightstand in the evening or hold her briefly in your hand before sleep, and she becomes a resting point at the end of a full day.

Please note: gemstones can offer support on an emotional and energetic level, but are never a substitute for medical or professional care. If you have any complaints or concerns, always consult your physician.

Tanzanite and Meditation

Tanzanite is known as a stone that deepens meditation, and that is her most practical use. Sit or lie down somewhere you will not be disturbed and place a polished stone or tumbled stone on your forehead, or hold it loosely in your left hand. Breathe calmly for a few minutes and follow whatever surfaces on its own. Tanzanite forces nothing, she mainly makes room. If you notice your attention drifting, set the stone on the floor within your line of sight and use the color shift from blue to violet as a point of focus. A pendant works nicely for meditation in motion, for example during a walk or a quiet yoga class. If you want a fixed spot, place a rough piece of Tanzanite on your meditation cushion or small altar, so the place itself already calls for stillness the moment you sit down.

Spiritual Properties

Tanzanite is trichroic: turn the stone and the color shifts from blue to violet and sometimes to a warm burgundy tone. That is exactly what makes her spiritual quality so recognizable. She helps you view one situation from several angles instead of staying locked into the single perspective you are used to.

Her core lies in the connection between reason and feeling. Many people reason perfectly well but have lost the path to their heart. Others feel a great deal but cannot find words for it. Tanzanite works at that intersection. She awakens intuition and inner knowing without the insight turning cool or distant, because she holds on to warmth and gentleness at the same time.

Tanzanite is also used for releasing patterns that stopped serving you long ago: making yourself small, waiting to see which way the wind blows, always letting the other person go first. She brings to the surface what you already knew but had not yet dared to think out loud. Anyone stuck in a conversation, a relationship or a choice will find in Tanzanite a patient companion.

Finally, she is known for her bond with honest speech. Tanzanite helps you not only know what you feel, but also put that feeling into clear words without detours. That makes her a favorite among people who often hold back and afterward wish they had said it differently.

How to Use Tanzanite?

• Wear Tanzanite as jewelry, for example one of our Tanzanite pendants and bracelets, so her influence stays close to you all day.
• Place a piece of Tanzanite in the room where you unwind, for instance on your nightstand or beside your reading chair.
• Bring the stone into your meditation by resting it on your forehead or holding it loosely in your hand.
• Put Tanzanite on your desk or beside your phone during a period of difficult conversations, as a tangible reminder to say what you really mean.

Types and Varieties of Tanzanite

• Unheated Tanzanite: rare material that is naturally blue-violet, because the earth itself once heated it. These stones are prized by collectors.
• Bi-color Tanzanite: pieces in which blue and violet are clearly visible side by side within one stone.
• Zoisite: the green base form of the same mineral family, focused on authenticity and creativity.
• Thulite: the pink to rosy red variety, known for self expression and self love.
• Ruby in Zoisite: green Zoisite with red Ruby, also called Anyolite, for life force and emotional recovery.

Beautiful Gemstone Combinations

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is the classic stone of honest communication and pairs seamlessly with Tanzanite. Where Tanzanite lets you feel what is truly going on, Lapis Lazuli helps you get those words across calmly and clearly. Together they make a fine duo for a conversation you are dreading.

Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz brings softness where Tanzanite brings sharpness. Insight can land hard, especially when you suddenly see what you pushed away for years. Rose Quartz makes sure you stay gentle with yourself in that moment, so the insight settles instead of stinging.

Smokey Quartz

Smokey Quartz is the earthing counterpart to the high, light energy of Tanzanite. People who are sensitive to overstimulation often notice that meditating with Tanzanite alone can feel a little untethered. Smokey Quartz keeps both feet on the ground, so the insights stay usable in daily life.

Recognizing Genuine Tanzanite

Tanzanite is regularly imitated and confused with other stones, especially in the tourist trade. The clearest sign of genuine Tanzanite is the color shift: turn the stone slowly in the light and you will see blue move into violet, and in rough pieces sometimes into a brownish red tone. Glass shows only one color and gives itself away through air bubbles and a suspiciously low weight. The most widely used imitation is synthetic Forsterite: look through the top of a faceted stone with a loupe and watch the back facet edges, which appear doubled in Forsterite. Iolite is occasionally mistaken for Tanzanite as well, but is usually grayer and less lively in color. Finally, watch for a colored layer on the outside: on coated stones you can see a difference between the surface and the core along edges or small chips. A price far below that of comparable stones is reason to be critical.

Properties

• Hardness: 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale
• Density: 3.10 to 3.38 g/cm³
• Composition: Ca2Al3(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH), with traces of V
• Crystal structure: Orthorhombic
• Color: Blue, blue-violet, indigo, purple

Locations

• Tanzania, Merelani Hills, Manyara region

Zodiac Signs

Sagittarius

Sagittarius is a seeker, always heading toward meaning and growth. Tanzanite feeds that longing for insight and at the same time helps whatever is found actually land in daily life. She invites Sagittarius not only to think, but also to feel what truly counts. As a December birthstone, her bond with this sign is a natural one.

Capricorn

Capricorn is strong in mind and will, but does not let the softer side speak easily. Tanzanite bridges ambition and feeling and shows that the heart is just as solid a foundation as reason. She helps Capricorn relax into their own emotional world without experiencing that as weakness.

Pisces

Pisces is naturally intuitive and sensitive, but sometimes gets lost in their own inner world. Tanzanite supports this sign in turning deep feelings into clear words and concrete choices. She helps Pisces trust what they sense and truly act on it.

Chakras

Third Eye Chakra

The Third Eye Chakra is the seat of intuition and inner knowing. Tanzanite activates this Chakra in a gentle but clear way, making it easier to reach your own inner voice. She helps you look past the noise of daily life to what is really happening.

Crown Chakra

Through the Crown Chakra, Tanzanite connects you with a wider awareness than everyday thinking. She opens the way to deep meditation and spiritual growth without losing your contact with the earth. This Chakra is therefore the entrance to the calm, spacious feeling many people experience with Tanzanite.

Throat Chakra

The Throat Chakra governs speech, honesty and authenticity. Through this Chakra, Tanzanite closes the gap between what you feel and what you say. For anyone who holds back quickly or talks around the point, that is valuable support.

Care

Tanzanite may be rinsed briefly under lukewarm running water. Never use ice cold or hot water and do not let the stone soak, because Tanzanite handles sudden temperature changes poorly. Dry her right afterward with a soft cloth. Ultrasonic cleaners and steam devices are not suitable, since the stone has perfect cleavage in one direction and is therefore sensitive to vibration and shock.

Energetically, you cleanse Tanzanite by resting her on a bed of Hematite Chips, or by passing her briefly through the smoke of Sage or Palo Santo. To charge her, place the stone on a bed of Rock Crystal Chips or set her out for a night in soft moonlight.

The blue-violet color holds up well in ordinary daylight, so an hour on the windowsill is fine. Still, do not leave Tanzanite in fierce sun for hours, because the stone does not like heat or rapid temperature swings. Store her apart from harder stones such as Rock Crystal or Sapphire, preferably in a soft pouch or her own compartment, so the surface stays beautiful and the stone is spared a hard knock.

More information about the cleansing and charging of gemstones can be found in our blog "The cleansing and charging of gemstones".

Frequently Asked Questions about Tanzanite

What does Tanzanite mean?

Tanzanite is named after Tanzania, the only country where the stone is found. The name was coined in 1968 by Tiffany & Co. As a symbol, Tanzanite stands for transformation and for the connection between thinking and feeling.

Can Tanzanite get wet?

Yes, a brief rinse under lukewarm running water is fine. Do not use ice cold or hot water and do not let the stone soak, because Tanzanite is sensitive to sudden temperature changes. Dry her right afterward with a soft cloth.

Can Tanzanite be placed in sunlight?

Brief daylight is no problem and the color holds up well. Just do not leave Tanzanite in fierce sun for hours, since heat and rapid temperature swings do the stone no good. Charging is better done in moonlight or on Rock Crystal Chips.

Which Chakra is associated with Tanzanite?

Tanzanite is mainly connected with the Third Eye Chakra, the seat of intuition and inner knowing. She also works on the Crown Chakra and the Throat Chakra. That combination suits people who want insight and want to voice it.

Where is the best place to put Tanzanite?

Place Tanzanite on your nightstand or where you meditate, so she helps you close the day. On your desk or beside your phone she is a welcome reminder to stay honest in conversation. As a pendant or bracelet her influence stays close all day long.

Summary

Tanzanite is the blue-violet variety of Zoisite and comes from one source in the world, the Merelani Hills in Tanzania. She owes her color to traces of vanadium and shifts from blue to violet as you turn her, which fits her quality beautifully: learning to see one situation from several sides. Tanzanite deepens meditation, strengthens intuition and helps you say what you truly feel, so that mind and heart speak the same language again. She resonates with the Third Eye Chakra, the Crown Chakra and the Throat Chakra, and suits Sagittarius, Capricorn and Pisces. Rinse her briefly under lukewarm water, charge her in moonlight or on Rock Crystal Chips, and spare her in fierce sun.

If you have any questions about Tanzanite, please do not hesitate to contact Kristalmeester. We are happy to help.