Green Zoisite
Longido Hill Tanzania, Africa
Zoisite A bacis calcium aluminum silicate
A basic calcium aluminum silicate (some Fe may replace Ca). It will grade into clinozoisite and epidoite. This is not a common in metamorphic rock in the US. It has a hardness of 6-6.5. This green mineral was named after the collector Baron S. Zois van Edelstein (1747 -1819) and was first found in the Sau-Alp mountains of Austria in 1805. Originally called saualpite, and is considered a gemstone.
Tanzania is gemmologically rich and offers a many popular crystals for industry, such as abrasives, as well as prized gems like tanzanite and corundum. Embedded in this specimen of Zoisite are rubies also called corundum.
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