The green in ruby zoisite is the same mineral as tanzanite. Zoisite's blue-violet form, found in the hills of northern Tanzania, became the gem Tiffany & Co. named and made famous. In ruby zoisite the same mineral shows up as an earthy green, holding chunks of real ruby the way a garden holds roses.
In crystal work, ruby zoisite stands for passion with roots: the ruby for love and drive, the green for a fresh start. It also has a common look-alike, ruby in fuchsite, and the green itself gives the difference away.
Ruby zoisite quick facts
- Chakra: Heart, root
- Zodiac: Aries, Cancer, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, Scorpio
- Element: Earth, fire
- Also called: Anyolite
- Color: Bright to grass green zoisite with pink to red ruby, often with black flecks
- Hardness: 6 to 7 for the zoisite, 9 for the ruby
- Commonly from: Longido, Tanzania (also Kenya)
- Pairs with: rose quartz, green aventurine, garnet
Ruby, green and a little black soil
Passion. The ruby is the fire in this stone: love, enthusiasm and the energy to chase what matters.
Fresh starts. The green zoisite is new growth and new energy, the feeling of coming back to life after a long winter.
Grounding. The black flecks of pargasite run through both colors like soil, and they're why ruby zoisite is tied to the root chakra as well as the heart.
Its other name, anyolite, comes from the Maasai word anyoli, green, so the stone is named for its green, not its ruby. Zoisite itself was named in 1805 by the German mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner, after the Carniolan (today Slovenian) naturalist Sigmund Zois, who sent him specimens from the Saualpe in Carinthia.
Why the heart and the root
Ruby zoisite belongs to the heart chakra, for its green and its love-filled ruby, and to the root chakra, for those dark grounding flecks. Its elements are earth and fire. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are the three fire signs, matching the ruby's fire, and ruby is July's birthstone, so anyone born in July is a Cancer or a Leo.
Gardens, anniversaries and new beginnings
- On a desk when starting a new chapter at work
- Beside a bed in a new home
- In a pocket for a first date or an anniversary
- In a garden window, for its living green
- In meditation, held over the heart
- As a gift for someone starting over in a new city
Plant something. When you begin something new, set your ruby zoisite beside a seed you've planted or a cutting in water. Each time you check on it, name one small way your new start is growing too.
Ruby zoisite or ruby in fuchsite? Check the green
Ruby in fuchsite is the stone most often confused with ruby zoisite. Both hold pink-red ruby in green rock, but the greens are different minerals.
| Ruby zoisite | Ruby in fuchsite | |
|---|---|---|
| The green | Solid, grass green zoisite | Soft, glittery green mica |
| Sparkle | Little or none | Shimmers in light from tiny mica flakes |
| Extra colors | Black flecks | Often blue kyanite |
| Feel | Firm and hard | Softer, can flake at the edges |
Tilt the stone under a lamp. If the green glitters, it's fuchsite. If it stays solid and earthy, it's zoisite.
Pink, green and red to pair with it
For the pink-and-green pairing in a bracelet, our green aventurine and rose quartz heart bracelet puts green aventurine's luck beside rose quartz's tenderness. The rose quartz guide and the green aventurine guide tell each stone's story.
The deep red of ruby has a match in the garnet crystal chip bracelet, garnet a deeper red linked to commitment and the January birthday. The garnet guide tells its story of travelers and loyalty. And a handmade rose quartz tree of life necklace brings the pink to a pendant, the tree of life standing for roots and growth like ruby zoisite's green.
Heart stones in every shade live among our heart chakra crystals.
Keeping both colors bright
The ruby in this stone is very hard, but the zoisite around it is softer, 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, with a perfect cleavage that can split if knocked. Set it on a soft surface and store it apart from harder stones. Water is fine for a quick rinse. Dry it well and skip soaking and harsh cleaners. To cleanse it, place it in a sunny window box among herbs for an hour, or let a candle burn beside it while you think of what you're starting. Quick care facts for every stone we carry are in our crystal care chart. Every crystal in our shop is smudged with sage and charged in the moonlight before it ships.
Ruby zoisite FAQ
Is ruby zoisite real ruby?
Yes. The red crystals are genuine ruby, almost always cloudy and cracked, so they're cut with the rock instead of on their own.
Is ruby zoisite rare?
No. It comes mainly from East Africa and is widely available and affordable.
Is ruby zoisite natural?
Yes. It's a natural metamorphic rock of ruby, zoisite and black pargasite.
Is ruby zoisite water safe?
Yes, for a quick rinse. Dry it afterward and don't leave it soaking.
Can you wear ruby zoisite on your wrist?
Yes. A ruby zoisite bracelet keeps its pairing of passion and fresh starts in sight all day. Take it off for heavy work, since zoisite can chip if knocked.
The prospector's green rock
Ruby zoisite is a metamorphic rock, roughly 500 to 650 million years old, in which ruby, green zoisite and black pargasite, a kind of hornblende, grew together. Chromium is often credited with its bright green. The deposit near Longido in northern Tanzania was found by the prospector Tom Blevins, who was looking for gem ruby. Only a little of the ruby there was clear enough to facet, and he struggled for years to sell the rest. In time the whole rock, ruby and green together, found its market as carvings and beads.
Each piece we sell is one of a kind, and the one pictured is the one you'll receive.