Polished Blue Speck Iolite Water Sapphire Standing Spheres x 5 From Ambatofinandrahana, Madagascar

A NOTE FROM NICK 
A tray of 5 beautifully polished rare Blue Iolite "Water Sapphire" spheres.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 
Malagasy Iolite 
Iolite, or Water Sapphire, is the more Solid Blue or gemmy blue form of Cordierite, shifting from vibrant blue to nearly black in dim light. Polished by Madagascar’s expert lapidaries, this scarce material, with only a few kilograms surfacing sporadically, boasts colors like blue-violet and grey, with recent Northern Cape finds revealing labradorite-like blue streaks. Its strong pleochroism, earning the name "Dichroite" (tow-coloured rock), and rich history make it a prized collector’s gem.                                                 

A NOTE FROM NICK

A tray of 5 beautifully polished Blue Speck Iolite Water Sapphire spheres with Sillimanite Pink Spots. 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Malagasy Iolite with Groovy Pink Sillimanite Spots 

Iolite, sometimes known as "Water sapphire", is the blue material from the Cordierite family of minerals.  This specific Iolite is an extremely unique and rare Malagasy Iolite, polished by expert lapidaries, features subtle pink Sillimanite (heavy) spots and patterns, but it is the small bright blue flashes that make this material very desirable and therefore making it a unique collector’s gem. Formed in metamorphic rocks from minerals like mica and feldspar, its deep blue, nearly black in low light, contrasts vividly with the pink inclusions. Only one consignment of this exclusive material was ever received.

PRODUCT MINERALS 
Cordierite, Magnesium Iron, Aluminium Cyclosilicate, Sillimanite

PRODUCT FEATURES 
Orthorhombic, Pleochroism

PRODUCT COLOUR 
Blue, Black, Pink

MOHS HARDNESS SCALE
7 to 7.5

PRODUCT DATA
Locality = Ambatofinandrahana, Madagascar  
Grade = Very Good Grade
Size = 58 - 66 mm