Gemstones
Tanzanite Vaults & Gems
How tanzanite is found, cut, graded and exported, with licensed dealers and the paperwork explained before you buy. No mine entry is promised, because access to a working shaft is not ours to grant.
About this journey
How tanzanite is found, cut, graded and exported, with licensed dealers and the paperwork explained before you buy anything. No mine entry is promised, because access to a working shaft is not ours to grant.
Best months. Year round. Three days, entirely around Arusha, with nothing weather-dependent.
Pace. Gentle. Workshops, offices and a drive. No walking of any distance.
Who this journey suits
You intend to buy a stone and would rather understand it first.
You are interested in how a single-source gemstone industry actually works.
You have two or three spare days in Arusha before or after a safari.
You want the export paperwork explained by somebody with no commission in it.
Highlights
- Rough, cut and graded tanzanite side by side, so the price difference becomes visible
- A cutting workshop, where the orientation of the rough decides most of the value
- The grading vocabulary — colour, saturation, tone, clarity — explained before anybody quotes you
- What the export certificate is, who issues it, and what happens if you do not have one
- Licensed dealers only, and no commission arrangement we have not told you about
Route
| Stop | Nights | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Arusha | 2 nights | One base. The Mererani area is about an hour and a half away. |
How the journey flows
Every point below is a real place at its real coordinates. The coastline is simplified — this is a route diagram, not a survey map.
- Private 4×4
Boundaries and protected areas are OpenStreetMap data, stored with this site. The dashed line is the order of the route, not the road taken.
In order
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)Arrive
- ArushaPrivate 4×4
- MereraniPrivate 4×4
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)Private 4×4
Day by day
A starting point. Every day here can be moved, shortened or removed — open one to read what it holds.
-
Day1 Arrive and the groundwork WhereArusha OvernightLodge or small hotel Meals D
Met at Kilimanjaro, about an hour. The afternoon is the part most tours skip: what tanzanite is, why it is found in one place, what the grades mean, and what you are likely to be shown and told over the next two days.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
- No photograph on fileLodgeTwin, double and family rooms. Ground-floor rooms available at most.
-
Day2 The Mererani area WhereArusha OvernightLodge or small hotel Meals BL
About an hour and a half each way to the mining area, with time at a licensed dealer and, where it is permitted and safe, at surface workings. Underground access to a working shaft is not ours to grant and we do not promise it.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
- No photograph on fileLodgeTwin, double and family rooms. Ground-floor rooms available at most.
-
Day3 Cutting, grading and home WhereArusha → Kilimanjaro Overnight— Meals B
A cutting workshop in the morning — the part that explains the price — then grading and, if you want to buy, the paperwork done properly. About an hour to the airport.
The places this journey goes
One photograph for each place on the route, in the order you reach them.
These are licensed photographs of the places themselves, credited on our photography credits page. They are not photographs of a Montero departure, vehicle or camp — we have not run this journey yet, and a gallery that implied otherwise would be worth nothing to you.
Where you would stay
Open any of these for rooms, power hours, hot water, Wi-Fi and the honest access position.
The gemstone part, in detail
A single-source stone, an opaque market, and a great deal of confident nonsense talked at visitors.
- Stone
- Tanzanite, the blue-violet variety of zoisite
- Where
- The Mererani Hills, Simanjiro District — about ninety minutes from Arusha and in sight of Kilimanjaro. It is the only place on earth where tanzanite is found in commercial quantity.
- What you do
- Rough and cut stones side by side under controlled light; a cutting workshop, where the orientation of the rough decides most of the value; and, where it is permitted and safe, surface workings. You will handle stones, and you will be taught the grading vocabulary before anybody quotes you a figure.
- Buying
- Entirely between you and a licensed dealer. We introduce, we explain, and we take no commission from any dealer. If that ever changes you will be told in writing before you travel. (Subject to confirmation.)
- Export paperwork
- Tanzania regulates gemstone export. Buying without the correct documentation can mean the stone is seized on departure. We explain the current requirement and date it. (Subject to confirmation.)
What is not included
| Underground mine access | Never offered, to anybody. Working shafts are deep, hot industrial sites and access is controlled by the licence holders rather than by tour operators. An operator promising a mine tour is usually showing you a surface pit. |
|---|---|
| GIA or laboratory certification | Not included, and not provided by us. We can point you at independent laboratories in Arusha or Nairobi that will certify a stone at your cost, with a few days of lead time. We do not issue, arrange or vouch for any certificate, and we will not display a laboratory’s name as if we were affiliated with it. |
| A valuation | Nobody at Montero will tell you what a stone is worth. We are not valuers and we would be the wrong people to ask. |
| A guaranteed price | There is no exchange price for tanzanite. Grading is done by eye and the spread between grades at the same weight is enormous. |
| An ethical guarantee for the industry | A formal licensed sector sits alongside small-scale operations with real safety and labour problems. We work with licensed dealers. That does not settle the question. |
What it costs
Indicative $3,800 – $6,500 per person sharing, by standard of accommodation. No price on this site has been approved, and nothing here is a quotation.
| Season | 1 | 2 | 3–4 | 5–6 | 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeakJuly – October, 20 Dec – 3 Jan | On request | On request | On request | On request | On request |
| ShoulderJanuary – February, June | On request | $3,800indicative | On request | On request | On request |
| GreenMarch – May, November | On request | On request | On request | On request | On request |
Per person sharing, US dollars, two people unless stated. Excludes international flights. A single traveller pays more and a larger group pays less per head — we will tell you how much before you ask twice. No figure here has been approved: see what it costs.
What moves the price: season, how many of you there are, whether you fly or drive the long sectors, and the standard of camp. A single traveller pays more; we will say how much before you ask twice.
Access and comfort
Each line is either confirmed by our own measurement or it is not. “On request” means we will plan and cost it and nobody has measured it yet.
| Provision | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Workshops and dealer offices | Partial | Vary widely. Several are upstairs with no lift. We will check the specific ones before you come and tell you which. |
| Underground workings | Not offered | Not offered to anybody, and not accessible by any definition. |
| Step-free rooms | Partial | Available in Arusha. Roll-in showers are not confirmed. |
| Hoist-fitted vehicle | On request | On request, from Moshi or Arusha. |
| Short, seated days | Confirmed | Nothing on this journey requires walking any distance. |
We do not ask for a diagnosis — only for what you need. How we plan accessible journeys.
The detail
What is covered, what it involves on the ground, and the changes people most often ask for. Open whichever you need.
What is included, and what is not
Included
Private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and a professional English-speaking driver-guide, for your party alone
Accommodation as described, on a full-board basis
All park, conservation and concession fees
Airport and airstrip transfers, met at the aircraft rather than at the kerb
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
24-hour local support while you are in the country
All guiding and introductions to licensed dealers
The cutting workshop visit
Transfers to and from the Mererani area
Not included
Any gemstone purchase, which is entirely between you and the dealer
Export certificate fees and any duty payable in your own country
Independent laboratory certification, if you want it
International flights, visas and travel insurance
Tips, premium drinks and personal expenses
Optional activities such as a balloon flight, unless listed above
Emergency medical evacuation cover — strongly recommended, and not something we currently provide
Practical detail
| Export rules | Tanzania regulates the export of gemstones, and buying without the correct documentation can mean the stone is seized on departure. We will explain the current requirement and date it. |
|---|---|
| No mine-entry promise | Guide section 10: licensed operators only, export rules explained, no mine-entry promises. Surface workings sometimes, underground never. |
| Our position on purchases | We take no commission from any dealer. If that ever changes you will be told in writing before you travel. |
| Prices | Tanzanite is priced by colour, saturation, tone, clarity and carat, and the spread between grades is enormous. Anybody quoting a flat per-carat figure is not grading the stone. |
| Independent certification | Worth it above a certain value. We can point you at laboratories; we will not vouch for a stone ourselves. |
Ways to personalise this journey
The changes people actually ask for, with what each one does to the shape of the trip. Prices for these are quoted in your proposal, not here.
This itinerary is a draft. It is written to real logistics but has not yet been checked by a guide who works this circuit, and no price here has been approved. Treat every figure as indicative until we confirm it in writing.
Questions about this journey
Will I see inside a mine?
Almost certainly not. The working shafts are industrial sites, deep, hot and dangerous, and access is controlled by the licence holders. Operators who promise a mine tour are usually showing you a surface pit.
Is it cheaper to buy in Tanzania?
Often, and not always, and it depends entirely on the grade you end up with. The value of this journey is that you will know what you are being shown before you are quoted a price.
Can I take the stone home?
With the correct export documentation, yes. Without it, you risk losing it at the airport. The rules change and we date what we tell you.
Is tanzanite mining ethical?
It is a mixed picture: a formal licensed sector alongside small-scale operations with real safety and labour problems. We work with licensed dealers and we are not going to pretend that settles the question for the whole industry.
If this one is not quite it
Journeys that share a region or a style with this one, and the background reading for the places on the route.
Tell us what you have in mind.
One conversation with the person who would plan it, and an honest answer about whether we are the right company for the trip.
Free, and with no obligation. A real planner replies within 24 business hours, East Africa Time. No payment is taken to enquire.