Gem Library

BUYER’S OVERVIEW:
Sodalite is considered to be an ornamental gemstone and is relatively abundant in nature, with good size, clean, natural stones available for very reasonable prices. Sodalite is typically dark blue to violetish blue and is often found with white, yellow or red veining. While mineralogically very similar to Lapis Lazuli and Lazurite, Sodalite is not comparable in color, being a royal blue rather than ultramarine. The best gems will be royal blue in color with minimal white veining.

COLOR:
Sodalite comes in a very narrow range of colors from a dark blue to a violet blue, often with white, yellow or red veining.

APPEARANCE:
Semitransparent to opaque.

SIZE RANGE:
1 – 20 carats, cabochons over 100 carats are known.

TYPICAL CUTTING STYLES:
Semi transparent to opaque: beads, cabochons, carvings

POSSIBLE ENHANCEMENTS & TREATMENTS:
Sodalite has no known enhancements.

HARDNESS:
5 to 6 on the Mohs scale.

BEST USE OF THE GEMSTONE:
Sodalite can be used in all types of jewelry.

CARE & CLEANING:
It is best to never expose colored gemstones to cleaning solvents or chemicals of any kind.
Common cleaning methods include:
Ultrasonic: never
Steamer: never
Warm soapy water: safe
Reaction to Chemicals: can be damaged by acids.
Reaction to Heat: fuses to a colorless glass
Stability to Light: generally stable after prolonged exposure to sunlight or UV light.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS GEMSTONE:
The name Sodalite was given to this stone due to its high sodium content. Discovered in Greenland in 1806, Sodalite did not become an important ornamental stone until 1891 when large deposits of gem quality material were discovered in Canada. The color of the most sought after Sodalite has been referred to as Princess Blue after Princess Patricia of England. While visiting Ontario, Canada some time after its discovery, the Princess chose Sodalite to decorate the interior of Marlborough House in England. Sodalite is a member of the Sodalite group together with Hauyne, Nosean, and Lazurite (a common constituent of Lapis Lazuli). While mineralogically very similar to Lapis Lazuli and Lazurite, Sodalite is not comparable in color, being a royal blue rather than ultramarine. Sodalite also rarely contains pyrite, a common inclusion is Lapis and Lapis is also opaque while the blue portions of Sodalite will have some amount of transparency.

DESIGNATION:
Sodalite is considered to be one of the gemstones associated with the astrological sign of Sagittarius.

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