榴莲视频

Unlike many well-known gemstones that have been in use for centuries, tanzanite鈥檚 history is relatively modern.

The common story of tanzanite鈥檚 discovery tells of Maasai herders who found blue crystals in the Merelani Hills near Arusha, Tanzania, while tending livestock in 1967. They notified a prospector named Manuel d鈥橲ouza, who promptly registered claims with the government to begin mining.

Initially, d鈥橲ouza thought he was mining sapphire gems, but the crystal was soon identified as a vibrant blue variety of zoisite鈥攁 mineral stone that had been around since the early 1800s.

Tiffany & Co. recognized this blue gem鈥檚 potential to rival more expensive sapphire and agreed to become its main distributor. Instead of publicizing 鈥渂lue zoisite鈥濃�攚hich sounded a little too much like 鈥渟uicide鈥濃�擳iffany named the gemstone 鈥渢anzanite鈥� to highlight its exclusive geographic origin. They introduced it with a promotional campaign in 1968.

An estimated two million carats of tanzanite were mined before the Tanzanian government nationalized the mines in 1971. The government divided the mines into four sections, or blocks, in 1990. Tanzanite One Mining Ltd., the world鈥檚 largest tanzanite producer, holds the rights to Block C, which is larger than the other blocks combined.

An independent study from 2012 suggests that at a production rate of 2.7 million carats per year, Block C鈥檚 tanzanite deposits may deplete in as soon as 30 years.

Tanzanite may not have the long history of other gemstones, but with such limited supplies and rapidly growing popularity, it is highly prized for its rare beauty.