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It occurs in only
one place worldwide. Its blue, surrounded by a fine hint
of purple, is a wonderful colour. Thanks to its unusual
aura and the help of the New York jeweller's Tiffany, it
has rapidly become one of the most coveted gemstones
in the world.
It is named after the East African state of Tanzania, the
only place in the world where it has been found. Africa?
Does anyone think of gemstones when they hear that
name? Well they should, because Africa is a continent
which provides the world with a multitude of truly
magnificent gemstones, like tanzanite for example. On
its discovery in 1967, it was enthusiastically celebrated
by the specialists as the 'gemstone of the 20th century'.
They held their breath in excitement as they caught sight
of the first deep-blue crystals which had been found in
the Merelani Hills near Arusha in the north of Tanzania.
Millions of years ago, metamorphic schists, gneisses
and quartzites formed impressive, flat-topped inselbergs
on a vast plain in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. The
precious crystals grew in deposits on the inside of these
unusual elevations. For a long, long time they were
hidden from the eye of Man, until one day some passing
Masai shepherds noticed some sparkling crystals lying
in the sun and took them along with them.
In Merelani today, the search is carried on for the
coveted crystals in several, smallish mines, in some