Iolite is the gemstone variety of the mineral Cordierite. It has an unusual blue to violet colour which has been compared to the Sapphire but with more of a purplish tint. One of the most notable characteristics of the mineral Cordierite is its strong pleochroism or colour changing ability. When viewed from one direction Iolite may appear to be blue or blue-violet, but as it's rotated, its colour appears to be yellowish grey to light blue. The name Iolite comes from the Greek word 'ios' meaning violet.
Many other gemstones are pleochroic, however unlike Iolite, most have such minimal colour change that it's not noticeable by the human eye. Cordierite (or Iolite) and Tanzanite are the two main pleochroismic minerals which display colour change that can be easily seen. Tanzanite has similar colour but it's the gemstone variety of the mineral Zoisite. These two gemstones can be easily confused because of their similarity in colour and the fact they are both highly pleochroismic.
The word cordierite came from the French mineralogist Pierre Louis Antoine Cordier, but it was known and used as a gemstone in Sri Lanka long before Cordier accurately described it in 1809. Cordierite was identified as a specific mineral and named as Iolite in 1813.
This pleochroismic effect is what helped Leif Ericson and other legendary Viking explorers who went far out into the Atlantic Ocean to determine the exact position of the sun and thus navigate safely to the new world and back.
Fine quality Iolite can be found in India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Myanmar and it is likely that the Vikings mined it from deposits in Norway and Greenland.
On a metaphysical level, Iolite is a vision stone that clears thought forms, opening intuition and aids in understanding and releasing the causes of addiction as well as helping one to express their true self, free from the expectations of others. It releases discord within relationships and encourages taking responsibility for oneself overcoming co dependency within a partnership. It creates a strong constitution ridding the body of fatty deposits and diminishes the effect of alcohol and supports detoxification and regeneration of the liver. Other healing properties are assisting with the treatment of malaria and fevers, killing bacteria and aiding the pituitary, sinus and respiratory systems. It is also said to alleviate migraines.
Iolite represents the 21st year of marriage and is graded 7 to 7.5 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Further reading:
Iolite
Iolite
Iolite
Our collection of Iolite jewellery
| ← Hemimorphite | Jasper → |
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