Tanzanite museum

Visiting The Tanzanite Experience Museum gives you a chance to delve deep into history and enjoy one of the main attractions in Arusha. It is an exciting journey that leads you right into the heart of this precious gemstone.

Through a guided tour, visitors understand why Tanzanite is not only so rare and sought after, the complexities involved with its mining, the skills involved in cutting and polishing as well as enjoy the stories and myths surrounding the gemstone

The history of the jewel

The origins of the blue gemstone

The world’s only source of this attractive stone is located on a small plot at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania, a country rich in folklore, has an ancient story where the local Maasai people saw lightning come down from the sky and hit the ground, turning all the rocks into a brilliant blue: tanzanite.

The mining process
A trip to Mererani

Tanzanite is commercially mined in the Mererani (or Merelani) Hills of northern Tanzania, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Initially, tanzanite could be easily harvested at the surface, but this scavenger mining quickly gave way to shafts and now tunnels, some of which extend hundreds of meters below the surface.

Cutting and polishing
Professional care

It takes years of training to cut tanzanite to the point where it can be certified as an “excellent cut,” where the stone reflects maximum brilliance. Due to its ability to appear blue or purple from different angles, the cutting process plays a crucial role in showing the true colors of the gemstone. The direction of the cut determines the overall face-up color of the gem.

Grading

Tanzanite grading system

Once the stone is cut and polished, it must be graded in a laboratory to determine its quality. The Tanzanite Experience Museum is also home to the Tanzanite Lab, where all gemstones are graded by experts before they are available for purchase.
We love to welcome visitors from all over the world to one of Arusha’s many attractions. We can share our knowledge and love of tanzanite.
We suggest allowing a minimum of 45 minutes to explore the tour, including the cinema. However, if you are also thinking about purchasing tanzanite, you should definitely allow a little more time to make sure that you are not in a hurry when choosing the perfect piece.

Admission to the Tanzanite Museum is free.