corundum, Tanzania.12, gems

Finds of gem materials in Tanzania were reported in the Spring 1995 (pp. 64–65) and Summer 1995 (pp. 133–134) Gem News sections. At Tucson this year, we saw a broad variety of gem materials from the region near the town of Tunduru, in the far south of Tanzania. Many dealers have likened the wealth of gem species in the area to that of Sri Lanka. Steve Ulatowski of New Era Gems, Grass Valley, California, said that among the gem materials from Tunduru are: ruby; blue, pink, and other colored sapphires; spinel; chrysoberyls, including an unusual mint" green (vanadium) variety, as well as alexandrites and cat's-eyes, garnets, including chrome pyrope, rhodolite, color-change, and light pink garnets; tourmaline, topaz; amethyst; tsavorite, zircon; and even some diamonds. Horst Krupp, of La Costa, California, confirmed this list and added that aquamarine – as well as green, white, and yellow beryls – have also been found in this area along arteries of the Ruvuma River. (He also noted that gem materials are being recovered across the border, in Mozambique. Especially notable at Tucson was a 7.19 ct alexandrite from Tunduru [figure 10], shown by Michael Couch and Associates of Cumming, Iowa."