zois·ite | ˈzȯi-ˌsīt
noun
A semi-precious gemstone which takes on a variety of colors including blue, violet, green, brown, pink, yellow, gray, and white
Zoisite is a type of sorosilicate that is sought after as a semi-precious gemstone that comes in a variety of colors including green, pink, blue, violet, gray, yellow and white. Also known as saualpite, zoisite was first described in 1805 by Abraham Werner, and has since been found in Tanzania, Norway, Kenya, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, and the United States in the Pacific Northwest. It has a hardness rating of 6-7 on the Mohs hardness scale and is used in a variety of jewelry applications, but has limited practical uses.
