ZOISITE

Named after the collector Zois, zoisite was first found in 1805 in the Sau-Alp Mountains of Austria. Zoisite is found in the number of varieties out of which the most prized variety is tanzanite. A massive variety of zoisite comes as a green or yellow opaque stone with black hornblende inclusions and with rubies in it. The other variety of zoisite is “thulite” which comes both in massive and transparent forms. Thulite has a pinkish color, which is because of the manganese present in it. Green and yellow zoisite is found in Tanzania and Kenya. Tanzanite is found in Tanzania as its name suggests whereas thulite occurs in Austria, Norway, Australia, North Carolina (USA) and Italy.

Crystal Structure: Orthrhombic

Hardness: 6.5

Specific Gravity: 3.35

Refractive Index: 1.69-1.70

Colors: Green, yellow, purple, blue, pink and pinkish red.

Luster: Vitreous

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