Iolite is a magnesium aluminum silicate mineral and is deep blue/violet in coloration and is also known as Water Sapphire.
Iolite (gemology) or Cordierite (mineralogy), which was discovered in 1813, in specimens from Níjar, Almería, Spain, is named after the French geologist Louis Cordier.
The name “iolite” comes from the Greek word for violet. Another old name is dichroite, a Greek word meaning “two-colored rock”, a reference to cordierite’s strong pleochroism. Another name for blue iolite is steinheilite, after Fabian Steinheil, the Russian military governor of Finland who observed that it was a different mineral from quartz. Praseolite is another iolite variety which results from heat treatment.
Iolite: Meanings, Benefits and Properties
The frequency of Iolite connects to the third eye chakra, opening and activating this chakra so that one has an awareness of higher dimensional energies.
This stone aids with one’s inner vision so that one is able to have insights into past emotional experiences and “see” how they can integrate for one’s growth in this lifetime.
The energy of Iolite supports one’s intuition and psychic awareness to bring forth ideas and guidance and to illuminate higher dimensional reasoning. It helps one to become calm, focused, and centered to enter into a meditative state.
This crystal is supportive of the energetic healing of issues relating to one’s eyes.
It can also be found in combination with orange/red/brown inclusions of the Feldspar Sunstone and this combination connects to the third eye, solar plexus, and sacral chakras, helping with inner vision and creative thoughts.
Iolite and Sunstone support one so that one can have insight into past emotional experiences and have the strength of will to move forward in this lifetime.
The energy of this beautiful combination stone allows one to be confident to manifest one’s inner thoughts and inner knowledge.
Associated Chakras
- Third Eye
Physical Ailment
- Eyes
Emotional Issue
- Meditation – Emotional
Spiritual Connection
- Connection to Higher Dimensions
- Higher Dimensional Awareness
- Inner Vision
- Intuition
- Psychic Awareness
History and Origins
Iolite was extensively used by the Vikings who once were out of range from land needed to chart their course, generally with the help of the sun. However, looking straight into the sun is not healthy, and this made it difficult to determine degrees, so the stone Iolite was used. If cut properly Iolite can be peered through in three different ways. First looking through one of its sides will give the effect of a normal gemstone, that of a nice bluish purple or violet, looked through from the other side and you will see clearly through the stone as if you were looking through glass or water. Finally, looking through the top of the stone will give it a polarizing effect, yellow or honey in hue, like many of today’s sunglasses.
Iolite is a name given by the Greeks; it means violet which is the primary color that comes. However, it is known by another name Dichroite which means two colored stones. This name however is no longer used.
For the most part, Iolite is found and mined in Australia (Northern Territory), Brazil, Burma, Canada (Yellowknife area of the Northwest Territories), India, Madagascar, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United States (Connecticut). The largest iolite crystal found weighed more than 24,000 carats, and was discovered in Wyoming, US.
