9:41 PM
Reny Feby
Gemstones: Iolite
Iolite - the Vikings' compass.
Stone's names: Iolite, Dichroite or Cordierite.
Color: Iolite is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, blue, rich blue-violet stone.
Description: Mg2Al3O Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Iolite is a blue silicate mineral that occurs as crystals or grains in igneous rocks, only as a result of contamination of the magma by aluminous sediment.
Iolite has a pleasing color of blue, but a rather extraordinary optical property. The gemstone changes colors depending upon which angle it is viewed from.
The name's origin: The name Iolite is derived from the Greek "los", meaning violet.
Varieties: The stones from the gem gravels of Sri Lanka have been called water sapphires due to the blue-violet color.
Iolite is sometimes called dichroite because of its marked pleochroism: different colored light is transmitted in different directions.
From the stone history: Iolite, known as the Vikings' compass, due to it's ability to determine the direction of the sun on overcast days. When the legendary Viking mariners sailed the wide ocean, they used thin pieces of iolite as the world's first polarizing filter. Looking through an iolite lens, they could determine the exact position of the sun, and navigate safely.
The natural mineral has little commercial use. When clear, iolite is cut as a gem.
Synthetic magnesium iolite has a low thermal expansion and is used as a semirefractory material because of its resistance to thermal shock.
Shopping guide: Iolite necklaces and pendants wear better than iolite rings.
Iolite is commonly cut into traditional shapes, and its most desirable color is a rich violet-blue. Iolite shows many colors in a single stone. It is very important to look at an iolite from several directions before you purchase, because the stone presents very different colors from different angles. If cut properly the stone shows its best blue color through the top of the stone. But viewed from another angle the stone may appear colorless.
The price of iolites about the same as of nice amethysts in a good color. This pleasing violet gemstone is gaining widespread popularity for its beauty and its attractive affordability.
Deposits: Most of the Iolite available today comes from Sri Lanka, Burma, India, Madagascar and Brazil. Precambrian deposits of the Laramie Range,(Wyoming, USA), contain more than 500,000 tons of Iolite.
The information for mineralogist: Hardness: 7.5.
Color: Iolite is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, blue, rich blue-violet stone.
Description: Mg2Al3O Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Iolite is a blue silicate mineral that occurs as crystals or grains in igneous rocks, only as a result of contamination of the magma by aluminous sediment.
Iolite has a pleasing color of blue, but a rather extraordinary optical property. The gemstone changes colors depending upon which angle it is viewed from.
The name's origin: The name Iolite is derived from the Greek "los", meaning violet.
Varieties: The stones from the gem gravels of Sri Lanka have been called water sapphires due to the blue-violet color.
Iolite is sometimes called dichroite because of its marked pleochroism: different colored light is transmitted in different directions.
From the stone history: Iolite, known as the Vikings' compass, due to it's ability to determine the direction of the sun on overcast days. When the legendary Viking mariners sailed the wide ocean, they used thin pieces of iolite as the world's first polarizing filter. Looking through an iolite lens, they could determine the exact position of the sun, and navigate safely.
The natural mineral has little commercial use. When clear, iolite is cut as a gem.
Synthetic magnesium iolite has a low thermal expansion and is used as a semirefractory material because of its resistance to thermal shock.
Shopping guide: Iolite necklaces and pendants wear better than iolite rings.
Iolite is commonly cut into traditional shapes, and its most desirable color is a rich violet-blue. Iolite shows many colors in a single stone. It is very important to look at an iolite from several directions before you purchase, because the stone presents very different colors from different angles. If cut properly the stone shows its best blue color through the top of the stone. But viewed from another angle the stone may appear colorless.
The price of iolites about the same as of nice amethysts in a good color. This pleasing violet gemstone is gaining widespread popularity for its beauty and its attractive affordability.
Deposits: Most of the Iolite available today comes from Sri Lanka, Burma, India, Madagascar and Brazil. Precambrian deposits of the Laramie Range,(Wyoming, USA), contain more than 500,000 tons of Iolite.
The information for mineralogist: Hardness: 7.5.
Posted in: Gemstones
