Iolite

Iolite
Iolite - Gem of the Vikings. When legendary Viking explorers ventured far out into the Atlantic Ocean, far away from any coastline, they had a secret gem weapon: iolite.

Iolite is a prime example of a pleochroic gemstone, that is, one whose color depends of the angle of view relative to its crystal axes.

Iolite: gem of the Vikings
When Leif Eriksson and the other legendary Viking explorers ventured far out into the Atlantic Ocean, away from any coastline that could help them determine their position, they had a secret gem weapon: iolite.

Iolite - The Sapphire Blue Gem
IOLITE - A Dichroic Gem
This stone is a beautiful sapphire blue in one direction, but an unattractive yellow gray in another, a property known as dichrosim.

Iolite
Click Here for Techinical Specification
Iolite, the gemstone of the Vikings, is very often minstaken for Tanzanite. It is bluish violet in color where the prominent blue tone resembles blue sapphire and the lighter one, tanzanite.

Iolite
Recent Article Summary
Iolite Facts and Buying Guide
It is a simple stone yet few cautions have to be taken care off while making the purchase of a genuine stone like it should be viewed from different directions to check for the colour ...

Iolite (Cordierite)
Chemical composition -- An aluminosilicate of magnesium and iron.

Iolite is usually a purplish blue when cut properly, with a softness to the color that can be quite attractive. It is more common to find iolite with beautiful blue in small sizes: larger sizes are often too dark, almost black.

Iolite comes from the Greek « ios » meaning violet. It is also called by others names such as Cordierite from the French mineralogist Pierre Louis Antoine Cordier; another is Dichroite from the Greek word meaning « ...

The name iolite comes from the Greek ios, which means violet. Iolite is sometimes known as "water sapphire" because of its light violet blue color, but other iolite gemstones may range from clear to honey yellow.

IOLITE
Overview: The name Iolite comes from the Greek "ios", which means violet. Iolite is usually purplish blue when cut properly, with a softness to the color that can be quite attractive.

Prasiolite
The name "prasiolite" has been originated from Greek words. The words "Prason" and "Lithos" stands for 'leek" and from these two words comes the stone name 'prasiolite".

Iolite, 4.76 carats
(Photo by David Dikinis)
The color of iolite ranges from a light blue-violet to a very dark blue. A medium dark blue is considered the "best" shade. Small iolites are plentiful and will fall into the low price per carat range.

Iolite is a popular and interesting gemstone. It has a pretty violet blue color that is unlike other gemstones although it has been compared to light blue sapphires. It is for this reason that it is sometimes known as water sapphire.

Iolite is relatively hard, with a Mohs Hardness of 7 to 7.5, but should be protected from blows. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.

Iolite has been referred to as the "Viking´s compass." On cloudy days, the Vikings were able to locate the position of the sun by looking through a thin colorless slices of iolite. The stone acted as a light polarizer and cancelled out haze and mist.

Enhancements
Prasiolite is usually produced by heating certain types of quartz in the presence of iron.
More information on gemstone enhancements.
Prasiolite ...

Iolite (-046)
aka Cordierite, Dichroite, Spanish Lazulite, Vikings' Compass, Water Sapphire
The name iolite comes from the Greek ios ("violet").

Iolite
Iolite is sometimes referred to as "water sapphire" because it is commonly found in water deposits. It can be mistaken for sapphires. Iolite is found in the U.S., Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, and Brazil.

Iolite A translucent gem of cordierite, a silicate of aluminum and magnesium. Shows two or more colors depending on how it is viewed.

Iolite - A mineral in shades of deep blue, light blue-grey, and yellow-white
Iridescent - An interplay of various rainbow-like colours ...

Iolite: Transparent, deep blue to yellowish-gray, also called dichroite or cordierite, similar in color to sapphire but not as hard, iolite is relatively new to jewelry. Composition: magnesium aluminum silicate; hardness 7.3. Search Iolite ...

Iolite: (also called dichroite or water sapphire). A silicate of alumina, iron, and magnesia which is usually violet-blue, but can be deep blue, light blue-gray, and yellow-white.

Iolite: A mineral used as a gemstone and appears as deep blue, light blue-gray, and yellow-white.
Jade: An ornamental gemstone, typically greenish in color.

Iolite
Spiritual growth, awakens inner knowledge. Good for truth, simplicity, imagery, & peace. Is a good stone for detoxifying from addictions.
Jade ...

Iolite. Enhances leadership ability, power, inner strength, self-confidence and executive ability. Increases dreams and the ability to remember them. Aids intuition.

Iolite
Color - Violet-Blue, Deep Blue, Light Blue-Gray, Yellow-White
Mohs hardness scale - 7 - 7.5
Mineral Class - Cordierite
Source - Found mainly in India, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Brazil ...

Iolite is also knows as the mineral cordierite and sometimes called water sapphire and lynx sapphire.

Iolite
From the Greek word for violet. Varies in colour from sapphire blue to yellowish gray, 7-7.5.
J ...

iolite
A blue gemstone, named from "ios," which is Greek for violet. Historically used by Vikings to shield their eyes from the sun during sea voyages.
iridescent glass ...

Iolite
Also known as Dichroite and Cordierite
Color: Most commonly blue, but can be violet, brown, or green
Hardness: 7 to 7.5
Transparency: Transparent, translucent ...

IOLITE
Gemstone Physical Composition:
Gemstone Physical Characteristics: Iolite crystallises in the form of masses, grains, and short prismatic crystals. It also exhibits pleochroic qualities.

Iolite
A silicate of alumina, iron, and magnesia having a bright blue color and vitreous luster.
Iridescence ...

IOLITE
Iolite (meaning 'violet stone'), also known as water sapphire and lynx sapphire, is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, or yellow-gray mineral.

Iolite is known as Canadian Sapphire, Water Sapphire, Corierite, and Dichroite. Iolite is found in India, Sri Lanka and Connecticut within the U.S. The name Iolite is derived from this gems magnificent violet color.

Iolite, also known an water sapphire, is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, or yellow-gray mineral. Iolite is pleochroic; a single stone will show many colors (in the case of Iolite, violet-blue, light blue, and yellow-gray).

Iolite
Normal care
Commonly dyed, heated, occasionally filled with wax for appearance ...

Iolite
Violet blue to dark purple range in color.
Moh's scale of hardness 7-7.5 ...

Iolite Facts And Care
Iolite is a transparent, deep blue colored
stone that is very popular for jewelry.
It is very attractive with either silver or gold, and is
commonly cut into beads, faceted stones and cabochons.

Iolite - A transparent, violet blue, light or yellow gray mineral. Also know as the water sapphire. 7-71/2 on the Mohs scale.

Iolite is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, or yellow-gray mineral that will show many colors in a single stone. It is a durable stone with a hardness of 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale.

Iolite is an iron magnesium aluminum silicate mineral that has gained popularity as a gemstone. It is primarily available in various shades of blue to violet-blue. Alternate names include dichroite and cordierite.

Iolite - Mohs Hardness: 7-7.5 - Treatment: None - Color: Violet blue [Astrological signs of Libra, Sagittarius & Taurus] - also known as Cordierite - Crystallizes in the form of masses, grains, and short prismatic crystals.

IOLITE
Because of its striking color, iolite is becoming a popular gemstone. The name comes from the Greek word "ios," meaning "violet," and the gem is usually purplish blue.

ophiolite suite The group of sediments, sedimentary rocks, and mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks that make up the oceanic lithosphere. ore A mineral deposit that can be mined for a profit.

Close to the ophiolite zone at Ballantrae, around Lendalfoot and Colmonell, pectolite and chrome spinel occur.
The Leadhills mining area, in the southern part of Lanarkshire, is dealt with separately (see link below).

Dichroite: See Iolite.
Dinner ring: Another name for a Cocktail ring.
Diopside: A crystallized silicate of lime and magnesia found in igneous rocks which ranges in color from clear, grayish green to almost black.

Iolite:A unique, transparent mineral that when cut, can appear to be violet blue, yellowish gray or light blue depending on the angle. The deeper the shade of violet blue, the better is the cut.

Iolite
Sometimes called 'Water Sapphire' because of it's pretty blue violet color which is similar to light blue sapphires, Iolite is a gemstone variety of cordierite.

iolite, rose quartz, smoky quartz, lemon quartz, amethyst, pyrope garnet, peridot and aquamarine]. I placed my order on a Monday morning and the gems arrived the following Saturday. All the gems were there and were what I ordered.

Water sapphire: See Iolite.
Wedding Cup: The tradition of the Jungfrauenbecher, meaning "maiden's cup" originated in Germany during the 16th century.

"Water sapphire" is not a true sapphire, but is iolite, a more common, softer, and much less expensive mineral. It is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, or yellow-gray mineral.

Most cutters try to minimize pleochroism in gemstones such as iolite and tanzanite by attempting to highlight the single best color.

Properly, after treatment, this stone should be marketed as Prasiolite or Green Quartz, not Green Amethyst, ...

Another name for Iolite, a transparent dichroic gemstone
Dichroscope
An instrument used to view the different colors of a dichroic mineral or determine is a gemstone is dichroic.

Prasiolite, an olive colored material, is produced by heat treatment; natural prasiolite has also been observed in Lower Silesia in Poland. Although citrine occurs naturally, the majority is the result of heat-treated amethyst.

The large bluish stone which the gentleman acquired with the red stones proved to be iolite, sometimes called cordierite or water-sapphire (Saphire d'eau), a stone seldom seen in this country.

Pleochroism is noticeable face-up in some gems, such as some tourmalines and iolite. It typically appears as two areas of lower intensity and/or slightly different hue on opposite sides of the stone.

These gemstones include amethyst, white opal, color change garnet, ametrine, peridot, andalusite, rhodolite garnet, citrine, blue topaz, iolite, chrome diopside, kunzite, and many ornamental gemstones such as turquoise, lapis lazuli, onyx, ...

Pleochroism is the property of having more than two colors, especially when viewed from different angles. In pleochroic minerals, a single stone will show many colors (in the case of Iolite, violet-blue, light blue, and yellow-gray will be visible).

See also: Stone, Color, Gemstone, Jewel, Sapphire