TZ Gemstones found here: Tanzania
9 deposits listed · 11 species catalogued
Known origins & mines
Mahenge Spinel Deposits (Epanko) · spinel
Marble-hosted deposit at Epanko village that erupted in 2007 with a 52-kg hot pinkish-red crystal - now the world reference origin…
Merelani Block C · tanzanite
The industrial heart of tanzanite: deep shafts following zoisite veins in graphitic gneiss. Block D near-surface pockets yielded r…
Lemshuku Merelani Tsavorite · tsavorite
Merelani hills hide Tanzania's tsavorite seams beside tanzanite — block mining produces both emerald-green garnet and mint grossul…
Songea Sapphire Fields · sapphire
Alluvial rush along the Ruvuma river since the early 1990s - blue plus famous orange, green and yellow fancy sapphires that made T…
Umba Valley Fields · tourmaline
Umba river flats produce grape-purple rhodolite plus sapphire and spinel byproducts — the 1960s Umba rush put Tanzanian garnet on …
Usambara Iolite Mines · iolite
The 1990s Usambara discovery yielded violet iolite crystals to 100 carats — Tanzanian material shows cleaner saturation than India…
Mahenge Garnet Hills · rhodolite
Mahenge's 1987 spinel fame extends to vivid pink-red rhodolite and malaya garnet — hillside pits glow with neon saturation unusual…
Tunduru Fields · sapphire
River-flat diggings discovered 1994 producing rainbow sapphire parcels alongside spinel, garnet and rare taafeite — one of Africa'…
Winza Sapphires & Rubies · ruby
The 2007 Winza rush produced spectacular unheated red and pink rubies in marble-free amphibolite — unusual clean crystals with viv…