Sodalite (3) Raw Minerals Stones Rocks Collecting

Description

Origin : Brazil

Sodalite 31-40 gr - cm 2.5-5 Raw Minerals Stones Rocks for Collection.

Sodalite is a tectosilicate mineral with the formula Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2 belonging to the cancrinite-sodalite group.
A relatively hard but brittle lightweight mineral, sodalite gets its name from its sodium content; in mineralogy it can be classified as a feldspathoid. Well known for its blue colour, sodalite can also be grey, yellow, green or pink and is often mottled with white veins or patches. The more uniformly blue material is used in jewelry, where it is shaped into cabochons and beads. The lesser material is most often seen as a veneer or inlay in various applications.
While somewhat similar to lazurite and lapis lazuli, with which it was confused in the past, sodalite rarely contains pyrite (a common inclusion in lapis lazuli), and its blue color is more like traditional royal blue rather than ultramarine. It is further distinguished from similar minerals by its white rather than blue streaks.
Most sodalite fluoresces orange under ultraviolet light.
Sodalite is widely used for inlay work, objects and cabochon-cut stones. It is usually an opaque stone, although there are rare exceptions, and it is extremely rare to find it in crystalline form.
The largest deposits are found in Brazil, the United States, India and Africa.