gems, zoisite, tanzanite, Merelani, Tanzania, East Africa, Mozambique belt

Many accounts of the discovery of tanzanite have found their way into print, most of them quite misleading or simply wrong. The stone, which was the first new gem of commercial importance to be discovered since the discovery of alexandrite in April 1834, was first found on July 7th, 1967 by Manuel de Souza. I called him “Manuel” but due to his overwhelming passion for prospecting in the African bush, on foot and unarmed, in order to seek the unknown (or “unfindable”, as he said), others affectionately called him “Mad Manuel”.