IOLITE
A lush violet delight, is the aural Iolite.
A lush violet delight, is the aural Iolite.
Also popularly known as the ‘Water Sapphire’, the Iolite is violet-blue tinted gemstone from the Cordierite mineral family. It has derived its name from ‘Ios’ which literally means violet. The Iolite is also known for its pleochroic properties. Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon where the gemstone appears to be different colors depending on the angle and light source.
Though officially named in 1912, it’s use and history dates back much further. It was once used by the Mariners as the compass to guide their way through the sea. With shifting shades of blue and violet, iolite carries the spirit of dreams, imagination, journey, and exploration. It is also referred to as the Vikings compass because other than just practically being used as a compass, Iolite provides the person to move spiritually and physically from one area to another.
India
| Mineral Family Iolite (Cordierite) |
Refractive Index 1.542 - 1.551 |
Mohs Hardness 7.0 – 7.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical composition Mg2Al4Si5O18 |
Briefringence +0.045, -0.011 |
|
| Specific gravity 2.61 |
Due to its extreme pleochroism, it is one of the toughest stones to cut and if not cut in the right direction, regardless of the shape it may turn colourless. Usually they are cut as faceted gems, but can also be cut as cabochons in almost all shapes and sizes.
Colours of Iolite ranges from dark sapphire blue to lighter bluish-violet and it appears in different shades at different depths. What differentiates it from other stones is its property of extreme pleochroism, that is, iolite is in different colours in different directions in the crystal. It may seem deep blue from one angle and nearly colourless from another. A violet specimen may display light or dark violet or yellow-brown colours and a blue specimen may display bluish-grey, yellowish or just look colourless. The ideal colour would be violet-blue similar to that of a tanzanite.
Iolite is usually cut with no eye-visible inclusions and the goods are graded as eye-clean to loupe clean standard.
Iolites comes by its blues and violets naturally and unlike Sapphire or Tanzanite, they cannot be heat treated due to its low melting point.
