Natural light
Iolite 0.90 Ct
75,00€
Gem: Iolite
Weight: 0.90 Ct
Size: 8.1 x 6 x 4 mm
Origin: Tanzania
Treatment: None
Clarity: VS2 small inclusions
Notes:From the beautiful rough you see in the photo, I have cut this exquisite Iolite from Tanzania, the source of the highest quality crystals of this precious gem. Iolites are trichroic, meaning they display three colors depending on their orientation. In this case, the best orientation yielded a light lavender color, but once cut, the gem acquired a beautiful blue hue. The cut is a unique design by Andrew Ian Brown. The gem is exceptional; its natural color is spectacular. The gem is almost pure, with only a few small inclusions at the tip of the knob. It will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of a magnificent piece of jewelry or a highly prized collector’s item.
Gemological certificate included: with a photo of the rough crystal and the cutting diagram.
Iolite trichoic gemstone
In legends, ancient Viking navigators used thin slices of iolite as filters to help locate the sun on cloudy days. Whether or not the tales are true, iolite (mineralogists call it cordierite) can be fashioned into beautiful gems. Strongly pleochroic iolite has been incorrectly called “water sapphire,” as it can display a blue to violet hue in one direction and pale yellow to colorless in another.
Iolite’s name is from the Greek word ios, meaning violet. Iolite is not typically treated. This is an attractive selling point for some consumers. Iolite’s strong pleochroism makes the gem tricky to cut for best color, when you turn iolite, you’ll see three distinct colors in three crystal directions. This in turn continues to pose challenges to producers and buyers interested in promoting the attractive yet problematic gem to retailers as an affordable blue-gem alternative. Iolite falls at 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, but given that it has distinct cleavage in one direction, its toughness is only fair. This makes iolite vulnerable to breakage when set in a ring or other setting exposed to rough daily wear. Iolite has yet to catch on with retailers as dramatically as tanzanite did in the 1970s and 1980s. Why not?
Experts believe that jewelry designers and retailers have yet to see a consistent enough supply of iolite in uniform fine quality to feel confident in ordering a broad and deep selection of the material for their workshops and stores.
If you’re not completely satisfied, you can return the gemstone
In stock