Tanzanite is a distinctive purple-blue semiprecious gemstone, popularized by Tiffany and Le Vian jewelers. This stone originates in the country of Tanzania, Africa. Originally called blue zoisite, it is considered to be a pleochroic, or color change stone, because it can go from blue to purple, depending on whether the light is incandescent or fluorescent. Discovered by Manuel de Sousa in 1967, the majority is mined around the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. In the last few years, there has been quite a bit of controversy over the mining and export of this stone.
