Description

Iolite has an orthorhombic crystal structure and is in the mineral class of silicates. It is a pleochroic gem which means that this stone has the feature of transmitting different colors. In its coloring, Iolite may be blue, violet-blue, gray or blue-green. It can also have inclusions of Hematite and/or Goethite which may cause a reddish colored sheen.

Iolite is also known as Cordierite, named after the French geologist Pierre Cordier who first described the stone in 1813. The actual name Iolite comes from the Greek word of ion which means violet. It can also be known as Dichroite. Cordierite with gem-quality blue coloring is also known as the “water sapphire.”

Currently it is mined in India, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Brazil. The Vikings very likely mined Iolite from deposits found in Norway and/or Greenland.