Dumortierite Stone | Meaning and Properties
About the Mineral Dumortierite
Dumortierite was first identified in 1881 by a French mineralogist who named the stone in honour of palaeontologist Eugene Dumortier (1803-1873). Although best known as a light or dark blue coloured stone it can also be violet, pink or brown. Blue stones are often mistaken for the mineral sodalite but dumortierite has also been used to imitate lapis lazuli because it's a mineral that's considerably cheaper and more readily available.
Dumortierite is found in metamorphic rocks rich in aluminium. The finest grade can be exceptionally beautiful and will often feature a mass of long slender crystals embedded within the mineral quartz. The crystals tend to have a vitreous lustre, are generally quite small and may exhibit pleochroism with colours varying from red to blue to violet.
Commercial grade stones widely used for lapidary purposes are actually quartz that's heavily included with dumortierite. Found in several countries around the world it's a relatively hard stone that grades 8 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Inclusions of Dumortierite in Quartz
In crystal healing dumortierite is said to be beneficial for patience and for slowing down aggravated and irritated energies. It stimulates communication between the body's various systems and can help with the expression of spiritual ideas and the comprehension of hidden meanings. It's believed to help resolve opposing points of view and when placed on the throat chakra can encourage one to share advice.
Photo; Stone Mania ©
Our photograph at the top of the page is dumortierite in pyrophyllite which is similar to the mineral talc but features aluminium instead of magnesium. Housed in London's Natural History Museum, it originates from Namibia in south west Africa (photo; Stone Mania). The next photo courtesy of Stan Celestian features inclusions of dumortierite in quartz. The crystals are from Bahia in Brazil. The dumortierite in our final photo is on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C. All photos are clickable and will enable you to view the original full size image.
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