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Anyolite is a metamorphic rock composed of intergrown green zoisite, black/dark green pargasite and ruby. It has been found in the Arusha Region of Tanzania and in Austria. 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. Its name derives from the Maasai word anyoli, meaning "green". 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, although it was eventually sold for £8000. It is reported that the stone originally came from a mine near Arusha, Tanzania.

References

1. ^ 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.

External links

• Jonathan Guthrie (December 17, 2009). "Ruby rises from rock bottom". Financial Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-17.

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