Thanks,
I feel better.
I do know they mines flooded and then petered out so to speak.
Yes, lives were lost in a tragic flood. But production is now at near-peak levels again. Block D, which produces the best material, has been taken over by a South African company that's doing its best to monopolize tanzanite supplies and marketing a la DeBeers. If they succeed expect tanzanite prices to go up.
After 9-11 there were charges that tanzanite was used to finance Al Qaeda. The charges were absolutely untrue, as was proven by the tireless work of dealer Abe Suleman and others. The real problem now is that the Tanzanian government has capitulated to the South African company (AFGEM) that started the rumor, and has taken the mining profits away from the local Masai tribes which formerly benefited. That's African politics.