Sodalite: Not Just A So-so Gem |
The rich royal blue mineral with a glassy luster, Sodalite is used in creating jewelry such as rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants. It is a constituent of lapis lazuli and the two are often confused, although lapis it rarely contains pyrite as does lapis, and is a different color. It came into more popularity when Queen Victoria's grandaughter saw it in Ontario, Canada and chose it to decorate the Marlborough House in England. Blue sodalite is therefore called "Prncess Blue".
It is a fragile mineral with high sodium content, and, although blue is the most common, it can also be found in gray, yellow, pink, orange, colorless, violet, or green and contain white, black, green, or violet calcite streaks. The pink color is brilliantly fluorescent, and changes to white in daylight, and back to pink in ultra-violet light. It is transparent or translucent, and the opaque blue Sodalite is mainly made into cabochons and beads, with lesser material used for inlay or facing. When carved into ornaments, Sodalite often has tiny cracks. It only ranges from 5 to 6 on Mohl's scale of hardness.
Sodalite was discovered in 1806 in Greenland, but it was not recognized as an ornamental stone until 1891 when Quebec produced large deposits of the stone. It was also located as small crystals found in large igneous deposits in Mont St-Hilaire Quebec; Ontario; Bahia, South Africa; Brazil; Portugal; Romania; Russia; and in Litchfield, Maine; and Arkansas. Thinner veins are found on the Ice River near Golden in British Columbia The eruption of Mount Vesuvius resulted in the discovery in limestone blocks of colorless Sodalite crystals which are highly prized by collectors as are transparent crystals found in northern Namibia.
Hackmanite, a Ilimaussaq variety of Sodalite, is usually a pale violet, but once harvested fades almost instantly to a white with gray or green overtones. Hackmanite from Afghanistan and Myanmar (formerly Burma) starts off as white, but when subjected to light turns to violet and then to a pinkish red. When put in the dark this color will also disappear. Many pieces of the stone will also turn to a mottled orange under ultra-violet light. Not all sodalite fluoresces and if it does, it doesn't necessarily fluoresce brightly, with Ilimaussaq sodalite the best,.
Sodalite is said to promote peace, harmony, and endurance, and is the stone of athletes. It is the birthstone for Virgo or Sagittarius, depending upon your choice. Some believe it cures many physical ailments including diabetes, thyroid problems, digestive problems, and helps the spine and nervous system. It can also prove lucky for writers.