Tanzanite

Extracted in Tanzania from which they take their name, tanzanites are fascinating stones. Exceptional physical conditions unique to this region are what allows the formation of this blue stone, that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Originally a brownish hue, they reveal a stunning purplish-blue hue when heated.
This is why the late discovery of Tanzanite in 1967 was an accident: legend has it that violent storms lit bushfires on the Merelani hills, near Kilimanjaro. On the return of the shepherds who had fled away from the blaze were revealed pebbles of an intense blue with purple reflections. Its blue color has earned it to be associated with happiness and prosperity among the Maasai.
Until then unknown to gemologists, this new stone caused a sensation in the jewelry world and remains to this day a very rare and coveted stone.