Story Brief

In 1967, a Maasai herder called Jumanne Mhero Ngoma stumbled across a clump of unusual violet crystals in the Mereli Hills near the Tanzanian city of Arusha. For his discovery, Ngoma was awarded 50,000 shillings – about $22 in today’s money. However, the rights to sell the mineral were awarded to Henry B.

AI summaries can be wrong sometimes—always verify important details using the source article.