Iolite

History
A stone highly sought after by the Vikings, who used it as a navigational tool, iolite has been with us for several hundreds of years. It has also been referred to throughout history as "water sapphire".

Features
Iolite is very special, in that it shows three distinctive colors when turned in different directions. It is possible to see a bluish violet color in one direction, pale yellow in a second direction, and a slightly smoky clear in a third direction. Iolite is frequently flawless. Occasionally iolite will contain thin red inclusions of mica.

Treatments
Iolite is generally untreated, and at this time it is not synthesized.

Principal Deposits
Iolite can be found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, Canada and Tanzania.

Rarity
Even though iolite is not commonly found, good quality stones of fine color are usually available.