Anyolite from Mundarara Mine, Tanzania

Anyolite is a metamorphic rock composed of intergrown green zoisite, black/dark green pargasite and ruby.[1] It has been found in the Arusha Region of Tanzania and in Austria.[1] It is sometimes incorrectly advertised as a variety of the mineral zoisite. The term anyolite is, however, not an officially accepted term for a metamorphic rock.[2] Its name derives from the Maasai word anyoli, meaning "green".[1] Anyolite is also referred to as ruby in zoisite, ruby zoisite, ruby-zoisite or Tanganyika artstone.

The contrasting colours make anyolite a popular material for sculptures and other decorative objects. It was first discovered at the Mundarara Mine, near Longido, Tanzania in 1954.

In 2010 it was suggested that a 2 kilogram stone known as the Gem of Tanzania owned by the defunct company Wrekin Construction and fraudulently valued at £11 million was actually a lump of anyolite worth about £100,[3] although it was eventually sold for £8000.[4] It is reported that the stone originally came from a mine near Arusha, Tanzania.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c http://www.mindat.org/min-27151.html Mindat
  2. ^ Metamorphic rocks, A classification and glossary of terms, D. Fettes and J. Desmons ed., Cambridge University Press
  3. ^ Jonathan Guthrie (October 1, 2009). "Now £11m Gem of Tanzania hits rock bottom". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10.
  4. ^ "Wrekin's '£11m' Gem of Tanzania ruby sold for £8k". BBC News. 16 February 2010.
  5. ^ Guthrie, Jonathan; Pearson, Samantha (27 March 2019). "The strange journey of the 'jinxed' jewel". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 18 September 2019.

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