Sodalite

A royal-blue feldspathoid mineral, usually massive with white veins, and a popular tumbled stone.

Sodalite specimen — Photo: Ra'ike (see also: de:Benutzer:Ra'ike), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify sodalite

Royal blue with white veins or patches.
Glows orange under longwave UV light.
Hardness about 6.
Light for a blue stone.

Often confused with

Lapis Lazuli
Lapis is a deeper blue with gold pyrite flecks.
Compare side by side
Azurite
Azurite is softer and fizzes in acid.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Bancroft, Ontario
Bahia, Brazil
Namibia

Uses

Carvings, beads and tumbled stones.

Rock tumbling

Great for tumbling.

Did you know?

A variety called hackmanite darkens in sunlight and fades again in the dark.

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