However, not only jewelers and fashionistas are interested in the properties of iolite. The gem is also used by people who practice stone magic. Lithotherapists who treat diseases with the help of minerals also highly value this mystical crystal. Why? Let's figure it out.
Properties of iolite
Minerologists defined iolite as a type of complex magnesium aluminosilicate with iron. It has a violet or blue color and a rhombic system. When fractured, the gem is conchoidal with a hardness on the universal Mohs scale of 7. Most specimens have a vitreous luster. Among the various characteristics of the mineral, it is worth highlighting its pleochroism.
Considering the lighting, the mineral has a purple or yellow-brown tint. Sometimes its color almost disappears. In the old days it was also called violet stone for its rich tone.
In nature, there are stones interspersed with hematite, which gives it a brown tint. The admixture of magnetite gives the minerals a beautiful shine and sparkle, which makes it even more attractive. In rare cases, microparticles of zircon and apatite are found, which causes yellowing of some areas. It is this nuance that allows you to recognize the authenticity of the stone. The chemical formula of iolite is (Mg,Fe)2Al4Si5O18.
| Property | Description |
| Formula | (Mg,Fe)2Al4Si5O18 |
| Hardness | 7 — 7,5 |
| Density | 2.58 - 2.66 g/cm³ |
| Refractive index | 1,53 — 1,55 |
| singonia | Rhombic |
| Kink | Conchoidal or uneven |
| Cleavage | Unclear by {010} |
| Shine | Fatty |
| Transparency | Transparent or translucent |
| Color | Blue of various tones |
Products with iolite and prices
Iolite is widely in demand in jewelry. It is used to make beads, necklaces and bracelets, inserted into earrings, rings, tie clips and cufflinks, and encrusted with brooches and tiaras. The gem looks most attractive in a silver frame, but quite often you can find jewelry with this stone in gold.
All kinds of magical objects are made from iolite - balls, figurines and figurines, amulets, amulets, key rings and car pendants.
The price of “violet” stone fluctuates over a wide range. The cost of products with it depends on the quality and size of the stone, the material of the frame and the design of the jewelry. The bright blue stones are considered the most expensive; their price on the world market reaches $60 per 1 carat. The most affordable are American iolites, their cost is $8-12 per 1 carat.
Myths and legends
Blue crystals have always been attractive to lovers of amulets and jewelry with semi-precious stones. Iolite is less known than similar gems. Translated from Greek, its name means “violet stone”, corresponding to the shade.
The violet tints of the pure blue mineral were appreciated by kings, pioneers and sages, knowing that the stone would be endowed with the ability to make the right decisions. He was prescribed supernatural properties - to give hope to the disillusioned, to help find balance in difficult situations, to lead to the intended goal.
There is a legend that the stone was considered most valuable by the ancient Vikings or Varangians, who used it instead of a compass in the foggy northern seas. Manuscripts testify that the mineral helped sailors find Greenland, whose shores delighted them with fresh greenery among the ice. They were able to distinguish the cardinal directions in any weather (by the angle at which the light falls and the glare appears) and determine their location among the waves.
Since the 19th century, the semiprecious mineral received a scientific description and systematization, after which it was no longer classified among the varieties of other, more well-known gems. It became known to the scientific elite under the “sign” of cordierite - this is how the French mineralogist Pierre-Louis Antoine Cordiere immortalized his name.
Although the Viking stone is cheaper than sapphires, it fascinates true connoisseurs with the depth of its dark purple crystals, reminiscent of the endless depths of the ocean. The film crew of the film "Titanic" considered this gem as a possible insert into the "Heart of the Ocean" pendant, along with a blue diamond and Indian sapphire, but then they preferred a tanzanite of a suitable shape.
It has long been known how to distinguish iolite from blue and purple stones - by specific iridescence. But it is still called “false sapphire” in India, “water amethyst” in Madagascar, and “violet jade” in China.
This is interesting!
It became the most popular ornamental and jewelry stone in the 20th century. But there are examples of cordierite among processed cabochons and ancient amulets, as well as in the form of blue hypnotic inserts in the eye sockets of idols and snakes (guardians of treasuries).
Place of Birth
Iolite is found very deep underground in rocks formed by heating and squeezing rock. Cordierite deposits are scattered throughout the planet.
- In Poland, near Mount Ovl, faint purple, almost colorless stones are found. In German Bavaria, iolites are bright, rich purple in color. The best and largest are mined in Norway!
- And the highest quality (clean and transparent) Varangian stones are found in India, Burma, Sri Lanka and on the island of Madagascar.
- In North and South America (in Brazil) this gemstone is also mined, but it is smaller and the mining volumes are small.
- Russia is not so rich in iolite. Its deposits are in the Urals, Karelia, the Kola Peninsula and Altai.
Violet stone is very fragile, making it difficult to mine.
Story
In Europe, iolite has been known since the time of the Vikings: its ability to dichroize allowed these sailors to determine the position of the Sun even in inclement weather or at night. In Rus', the gem was called the “Varangian stone”.
The development of progress has not affected this area of use of iolite: navigators of modern airliners carry such a stone with them.
Descriptions of iolite waited in the 19th century. The French scientist Louis Antoine Cordieri scientifically studied and documented the characteristics of the stone.
In Russia, the stone was found in 1856 during an expedition to the Urals under the leadership of biologist N.I. Koksharov. However, no attention was paid: the brighter exhibits of the Ural “box” overshadowed the delicate beauty of iolite.
His finest hour came decades later.
Varieties of mineral
Varieties of iolite are classified by their shade.
The name of the crystal, if translated from Greek, means “violet stone”. Indeed, the most common color of the mineral resembles a purple flower. But there are other color options:
- ash yellow;
- honey;
- sky blue;
- with a "cat's eye" effect.
The play of shades often confuses jewelers, especially inexperienced ones. Due to pleochromism - the variety of colors and iridescences - it can be difficult to distinguish iolite stone from similar gems. If such difficulties arise in our time, then the confusion of the ancient people, who had neither laboratories nor high-precision equipment, is not surprising.
Classification
The following types of iolites are distinguished by color:
- cordierite – endowed with blue and blue shades; iolite classic;
- pseudo-sapphire – a gem of bright neon color;
- water sapphire is a light, almost blue colored stone.
A specimen of any color with a stripe in the middle (cat's eye effect) is a lynx stone.
The main wealth of iolite is blue. The richer it is, the more expensive the stone.
Healing properties of the stone
Iolite stone has healing properties. With its help, you can normalize a person’s psycho-emotional state. It relieves tension and relieves stress.
The stone helps overcome almost any mental disorder. There is one very simple procedure that gives a similar effect. To do this, it is not necessary to contact a lithotherapist, because you can do it yourself. Iolite is picked up and examined for 15 minutes. During this time, the person calms down and nervous tension goes away.
Daily sessions will improve your psycho-emotional state. The gem helps to cope with insomnia. If you place a stone at the head of the bed before going to bed, sleep will not be long in coming.
Iolite relieves harmful addictions - smoking, alcohol or drug addiction. The gem cleanses the body of waste and toxins. It improves the functioning of the liver and digestive system.
Lithotherapists advise wearing iolite to those people who suffer from anemia. The stone raises the level of hemoglobin in the blood. The stone also helps with paralysis.
Women who dream of beautiful hair need to pay attention to iolite. The gem will strengthen them and activate growth. Your nails will also look better after wearing it.
This cordierite can be used to charge water if the gem is encased in a silver frame. The stone should be placed in a glass of drinking water overnight. In the morning she drinks on an empty stomach. This helps, as it were, to wash the body from the inside and activate the work of internal organs. Water also tones and energizes the stone.
Let us summarize the useful capabilities of iolite. He:
- Helps get rid of insomnia. To do this, you can perform a meditation on the gem before going to bed, or simply hang it above the bed.
- Relieves addiction to alcohol, nicotine, drugs, and gambling. The practice that we described above allows you to switch a person’s attention, which is very important when giving up a bad habit.
- Helps remove waste and toxins from the body.
- Improves the functioning of the digestive organs and liver.
- Accelerates recovery from strokes and heart attacks.
- Affects keratin synthesis. This protein is the main component of nails and hair. Thanks to cordierite, they will become healthier, more beautiful and brighter.
Healing capabilities of the stone
The healing properties of violet stone have been known for a long time. He can be called a “home psychotherapist” because he is able to normalize a person’s psycho-emotional state, help get out of a stressful situation and depression, cope with insomnia and get rid of bad habits.
The procedure in this case is simple: you need to pick up the stone, warm it and examine all its features for 15 minutes, thinking only about the good. Nervous tension will go away unnoticed, a state of peace and balance will come, the person will feel inner harmony and confidence.
And it’s even easier to get rid of insomnia - you need to put a stone at the head, and soon your eyes will close on their own, and peaceful sleep will come. If there is a psychological imbalance within, it is best to wear jewelry with iolite. For women, it can be earrings or a ring, a brooch or a hair clip. For men, you can buy cufflinks or a tie pin.
Lithotherapists claim that the “Varangian stone” is able to cleanse the body of “internal debris” that has accumulated over many years, raises hemoglobin levels, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, and the condition of hair and nails. And if you put a stone in a silver frame in a glass of water overnight and drink it the next morning on an empty stomach, then cleansing of the body is ensured.
Magical properties of iolite
A rare stone of unique blue-violet shades, valued for its magical properties. For married couples who often have conflicts, iolite gives peace and peace of mind, protects them from infidelity and spontaneous divorces. Positive energy directs the owner’s efforts in the right direction.
Psychics and lithotherapists recommend holding the stone in your hands and peering into its “depth” to relieve stress after a hard day. Such relaxation will help you find inner peace and tranquility after conflict situations at work, but it is useful even without magic.
The amulet absorbs all the negativity, so after stressful events it is recommended to rinse it under running water to restore energy. If you do this daily, then even in a difficult team, iolite will help you take an authoritative position, enlist the support of your colleagues, and earn the approval and sympathy of your superiors.
The gem's field of activity is family and relationships between spouses. If a man and a woman are connected by interest in each other, then an amulet made of violet stone will help ignite passion, help maintain love interest in each other for a long time, which means it will protect against betrayal, deception, show the truth of feelings, and save the family hearth.
Experts also say that thanks to the magic stone, it is easier to keep difficult situations under control, including resolving debt and other financial issues. He will help a failed person become a responsible person, especially if he is a guy to whom people of the older generation left an inheritance and gave him a ring with a blue insert. Determination and motivation will guide the young man through life.
It is very necessary for those who have lost hope, have lost all meaning, all goals, because it gives strength and instills self-confidence.
This stone brings positive energy to everyone who touches it. Therefore, it creates a friendly atmosphere in the work team, helps to gain authority among colleagues and bosses, and protects from gossipers and envious people.
How to distinguish from a fake
Given the popularity of iolite recently, they have learned how to counterfeit it. To reduce its cost, synthetic cordierite is produced.
- A properly cut stone can change color when you move your hand under rays of light.
- One of the main striking features of natural stone is the presence of dichroism, which manifests itself in changes in shades from different viewing angles. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is.
- Natural specimens have inclusions of zircon, which can be seen upon careful examination as yellowish spots.
Checking iolite for authenticity
The popularity of iolite has been growing in recent years, and unscrupulous sellers have learned to counterfeit it. Cordierite is imitated using plastic or glass, or vice versa, it is passed off as more expensive precious gems. How to distinguish a mineral from analogues and fakes?
If you look at a gem from different angles, its shade will definitely be different.
- Take advantage of the unique play of light in iolite. If you put it next to real amethyst, citrine, sapphire, then the edges of these gems will sparkle with purple-blue hues.
- Amethysts are more purple with a blue tint, iolites are the opposite.
- Sapphire has a deep blue color with a slight hint of purple. In cordierite the purple impurity is much more noticeable.
- Only violet stone is able to “see” the sun behind the clouds, giving a play of light from the side where the sun’s ray, even a very diffuse one, falls on it.
- Multi-colored inclusions may be noticeable in the composition of iolite. More expensive sapphires and amethysts are always uniform.
- Even a slight movement of the hand is enough for the mineral to change its shade. This will not be observed even in more expensive precious specimens. And even more so for pieces of plastic or glass.
- Another property that is almost impossible to fake is dichromism. If two people look at iolite from different angles, its shade will be different for each. If you are alone, just look at the mineral first with one eye, then with the other.
You need to be especially careful when buying iolite not as jewelry, but as a magic or healing stone. Plastic and glass do not have magical properties at all. Sapphire, amethyst, and citrine have radically different energy and compatibility.
Compatibility with other stones
To choose the right jewelry with several gems, you need to know the laws of their compatibility:
- All stones correspond to a certain earthly element: earth, air, water and fire. Each element is responsible for its own physical and spiritual part in a person. You cannot combine opposing elements: fire and air, earth and water.
- The element of man must necessarily be combined with the element of stone.
Back in the Middle Ages, the alchemist Nettesheim was able to connect the planets of the solar system with the elements, and then determine which stones belonged to which planet (elements).
| Color varieties | Compatible | Incompatible |
| Blue and transparent | Sapphire, amethyst and lapis lazuli | Ruby, jasper, garnet and rauchtopaz |
| Purple | Opal, labradorite and sapphire | Ruby, jasper, garnet, pearl, aquamarine, opal, rock crystal and rauchtopaz |
| Blue | Multi-colored diamonds, aquamarine and rock crystal | Turquoise, sapphire, lapis lazuli and blue topaz |
This is interesting!
Transparent, white and blue iolites are associated with the Moon, violet and lilac with Mercury, blue with Jupiter, with an optical effect or iridescent highlights with Uranus.
Who is suitable for iolite according to their zodiac sign?
These stones have no contraindications according to the horoscope. Every zodiac sign can wear it.
Compatibility of iolite with zodiac sign, table:
| Zodiac sign | Compatibility (“+++” – fits perfectly, “+” – can be worn, “-” – strictly contraindicated) |
| Aries | + |
| Taurus | +++ |
| Twins | + |
| Cancer | + |
| a lion | + |
| Virgo | + |
| Scales | +++ |
| Scorpion | + |
| Sagittarius | + |
| Capricorn | + |
| Aquarius | + |
| Fish | + |
Iolite is best suited for Taurus and Libra. It will become a real talisman for them, which will protect them from any troubles. They can always rely on this amulet. He will not allow anything bad to happen to people of these signs. If the stone is placed in the interior of the house, it will maintain a good microclimate in it. Taurus and Libra people can put it on their desk or put it away in one of their drawers. The stone will make sure that their superiors will always treat them favorably.
Astrologers recommend wearing Iolite to Sagittarius, Pisces and Aquarius. The gem will help them sort out their thoughts and desires and build the right line of behavior with others. He will show people of this sign how to find a way out of difficult situations.
For other zodiac signs, the effect of the stone will be neutral. Iolite fascinates people with its beautiful shine and rich color.
How to wear
Iolite is suitable for both women and men. They put on jewelry or wear individual stones, sometimes even untreated. Gems are placed at the workplace, in a pocket, or in a purse.
Women, as a rule, love jewelry:
- Wear items in the neckline area: necklaces, beads, etc. Contact with the body has a good effect on the work of the stone. This way it works more efficiently.
- Volumetric rings and earrings with minerals are also popular. Select depending on age and taste. Most of the jewelry is silver.
- Iolite goes well with dresses or suits, for example, made of silk, chiffon, satin.
- Sometimes they try to pass off iolite as a more expensive sapphire.
Men often wear the stone in rings, cufflinks, pins, or put it in their car or on their desk for good luck.
Iolite is not often seen on Russian women. Men wear it even less often. There are only a small number of crystals available for sale, and cordierite is not as well known as other gemstones. Jewelry with iolite usually arouses interest and envy among others. In addition, the mineral brings good luck and protects its owner.
Where is the stone used?
Semi-precious iolite is shared among jewelers and collectors of mineralogical collections.
Jewelers make a full range of jewelry from the mineral:
- Iolites of medium quality become cabochons, while higher quality ones are cut into facets. Such iolite is capable of exhibiting trichroism and richness of color, but only with proper cutting. Therefore, the master must take into account the direction of the axes of the crystal lattice.
- Iolite is combined with diamonds, tourmalines, sapphires, and tanzanites.
- The material of the frame determines when and how to wear the gem. Silver items are appropriate in the office and during negotiations. Gold or platinum - at an evening reception or high-status social event.
Calm-dark iolites are suitable for men. Cufflinks or a ring will organically complement your wardrobe.
Stone jewelry
When choosing jewelry, pay attention to the frame. In gold and silver, the beauty and natural energy of iolite will be revealed in full force. But if you want to use cordierite only as a talisman, you can safely wear a solid stone without any setting.
Women should combine clothes made of satin, silk, and chiffon fabrics with jewelry. Your appearance will be full of grace and nobility.
Iolite is suitable for every representative of the fairer sex, regardless of age - from young girls to mature women.
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Price
Russian online stores offer collectible material and jewelry made of iolite (cost/RUB):
- faceted stone 0.5 carat, 5 mm – RUR 3,756;
- silver bracelet (1 stone, 10 mm) – 6,100 rubles;
- ring (gold, silver; stone 18.7 carats, 19x16x10 mm) – RUB 21,200;
- earrings (925° silver, stones 7x5 mm) – 1,200 rub.
The world price of bright blue iolite is $55–60 per carat.
The price range is determined by the quality and type of stone. The most expensive ones are deep blue.
Let's buy a traveler's stone
The price of iolite greatly depends on the color. The brighter, bluer, and more saturated it is, the more money you will have to pay for the gem.
In the table, look at how much you can buy a faceted iolite crystal (jewelry insert)
| Iolite cut shape, carat weight, country of origin | Price |
| Circle; 0.4; Madagascar | 780 |
| Trillion; 14.14; Madagascar | 33559 |
| Oval; 31.98; Madagascar | 74142 |
| A drop; 47.8; Madagascar | 112384 |
Products with iolite appear in high-end jewelry stores and on simple Internet sites. Don't let the price difference kill you. You already have an idea of the cost of a faceted iolite crystal, add the frame and calculate the fair price of the product.
Silver earrings with iolite can be bought from a private craftsman for 3,800 rubles. And a unique ring costs only 4,000 rubles at the crafts fair.
Product care
In order for products with a gem to retain its beauty and magical effect for as long as possible, you need to know a few rules:
- It is best to store each product in a separate box so that the energy of the stone can be preserved.
- You need to wipe the item as it gets dirty. It is best to carry out this procedure with a cotton swab dipped in a weak soap solution. Then wipe dry.
Important!
Chemical aggressive solutions should be avoided!
- Esotericists believe that if a stone is worn every day, it should be washed every evening with warm running water (the stone is not afraid of high temperatures!). It is able to quickly and easily absorb negative energy and just as easily release it to water.
