Iolite

Iolite has often misleadingly been referred to as ‘Water Sapphire’, due to its sapphire blue colour.

The name Iolite, applied on account of the blue colour of the gemstone, derives from the Greek word for violet. Iolite has also been described as Cordierite, in honour of the French geologist Cordier.

The localities of Iolite are the gem gravels of Sri Lanka and the Mogok Stone Tract of Myanmar. Gemstones have been found in Madagascar, particularly from Mount Tsilaizina, and have also been found in the hills of Madras, India. Some Iolite is found near the Great Slave Lake in the North-West territories of Canada. Good quality Iolite is found at Karasburg, Namibia, at Babati in Tanzania and in southern Norway.

View Iolite Jewellery at Astley Clarke