A tale of rage to riches from Tanzania has blown people’s mind. The small-scale miner, identified as Saniniu Laizer, has discovered two rarest tanzanite stones which are believed to be the biggest ever find in the country. He reportedly had sold the precious stones, for US dollar 3.4 million from the country’s mining ministry for the gemstones. When asked what the first thing he would do with the significant amount, he said that there would be a family party to celebrate the find. Tanzanite is one of the rarest gemstones on earth only found in northern Tanzania, and it is used to make ornaments. Here's why these gemstones are so precious and expensive. 89-carat Yellow Diamond Worth Rs 90 Crores Found in Africa!

Laizer mined the stones last week. The two dark violet-blue gemstones, each about the dimensions of a forearm were discovered in one of the tanzanite mines in the north of the country. The first gemstone reportedly weighs 9.27 kg, while the second weighed 5.103 kg. BBC reported that until now, the largest Tanzanite rock to be mined weighed 3.3 kg. This means, the latest find, was the biggest ever in the country. Laizer had reportedly sold the gemstones during a trading event in the northern region of Manyara.

He plans to open a school near his house, so that people who cannot afford to send their kids to schools can now have the option to educate them. “I want to build a shopping mall and a school. I want to build this school near my home. There are many poor people around here who can’t afford to take their children to school,” Laizer was quoted in BBC.

Why Tanzanite Stones Are So Expensive?

Tanzanite is the blue and violet variety of the mineral zoisite. The rarest stones are only found in Tanzania. It can also appear differently when viewed under different lighting conditions. The value of tanzanite is determined by rarity—the finer the colour or clarity, the higher the price. These gemstones can only be found in a 20-square-mile area in Tanzania, in the Merlani foothills. This region is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Because this is the only place on Earth where the stones exists, tanzanite has become incredibly rare and expensive.

President John Magufuli phoned Laizer as well to congratulate him on the most significant find. He also added that the latest find also proves that Tanzania is rich.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 25, 2020 04:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).