What does the tanzanite mining area look like ?

Tanzanite is only found in a tiny area called Merelani , in a far-flung corner of Tanzania, near Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa. The entire area is only 17 kilometers long – and was divided into four areas, named blocks A to D by the Government in 1990. The area is mined by hundreds of small scale miners using mainly basic equipment, and several more modern, medium sized companies.

Whilst is obvious that the supply is diminishing daily, no-one is exactly sure how long the tanzanite mining will last. In 2013, independent geologists assessed the largest tanzanite mine, Tanzanite One, as having only 30 years left. The smaller mines in the area remain unmeasured.