Gem Story
The Blue gemstone origins
A Tanzanite Museum Visit is a must-do experience for travelers exploring Arusha or northern Tanzania. Located near the base of Mount Meru and close to Kilimanjaro International Airport, the Tanzanite Museum offers a unique opportunity to learn about one of the world’s rarest and most valuable gemstones. Tanzanite, found exclusively in the Mererani Hills of Tanzania, is a blue-violet variety of the mineral zoisite, known for its captivating color and single-source origin. The museum not only showcases polished gems and jewelry, but also details the complete story of Tanzanite’s discovery, geology, and global significance.
The world’s only source of this alluring stone is located on one very small patch of land at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania, a country rich in folklore, boasts an ancient story in which the local Maasai saw a bolt of lightning come down from the sky and strike the ground turning all the rocks to a shimmering blue – Tanzanite.
This museum run by the Arusha Tanzania Tanzanite Foundation contains a video on the history of Tanzanite mining from the discovery of the rare gemstone in the Mererani hills near Arusha in 1967 to the present day, as well as a display of rough and cut gems and items made from Tanzanite, information on local geology and a laborator
Mining Process
A Journey Inside Mererani
Tanzanite is commercially mined in only one small area in the Mererani (or Merelani) Hills in Northern Tanzania, at the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro. Originally, Tanzanite could easily be collected on the surface, but this scavenger mining quickly gave way to pits and now tunnels, some of which extend hundreds of meters beneath the surface.
Cutting & Polishing
Professional care
It takes years of training to cut Tanzanite to the point that it can be certified as an ‘excellent cut’, where the stone reflects maximum brilliance. Due to its ability to show either blue or violet from different angles, the cutting process plays a crucial role in displaying the true colors of the gemstone. The cutting direction determines the gem’s overall face-up color.
Grading
Tanzanite Grading System
Once the stone is cut and polished, it has to be graded in a laboratory to determine its quality. The Tanzanite Experience Museum is also home to the Tanzanite Laboratory where all the gemstones are expertly assessed before being made available for purchase.
We love to welcome visitors from all over the world to one of the many attractions in Arusha. We get to share our knowledge and love of Tanzanite.
We suggest that you allow a minimum of 45 minutes to go through the tour, including the cinema. However, if you are also considering purchasing some Tanzanite, you should factor in a little more time to ensure that you do not have to rush while picking your perfect piece.