What is Iolite?

Iolite was the first gemstone that I used to create my first necklace. I fell in love with it's gorgeous translucent properties that danced between blue and purple, depending on the light. I think it is just as beautiful as sapphire, more affordable than tanzanite, and its clarity sets it apart from lapis lazuli.

It isn't an expensive or particularly popular stone. It's mineral name is cordierite and it is considered to have pleochroism, meaning it displays three different colors—typically violet, colorless, and yellow or gray-blue.

Iolite is mined in countries such as Madagascar, Tanzania, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and Namibia, with India being the largest source today. If you're into woo-woo crystal stuff, it's said to promote inner vision, clarity, and a connection to one's true self.

Some scholars believed that Vikings used it as a "sunstone" in which they used the polarity to locate and navigate with the sun, even on cloudy days.