Charoite can only be found in Russia's Far East. Within Russia it's known as "sirenevyi kamen" meaning "lilac stone".
Although initially discovered in 1948 it was another twenty years before the site was revisited and further investigations carried out.
Charoite is a relatively rare material. The area where it's found lies more than 600 miles from the nearest road.
Although named after the Chara River it's not found in the immediate vicinity.
The Republic of Sakha restrict the amount of charoite that can be mined each year to 100 tons.
This is partly because of the location where it's found and also because there's only a limited amount of stone available.
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