Iolite comes from the Greek “ios” meaning violet. It was also called diochroite another Greek word which means “two coloured” stone. Iolite - Iolite opens the mind to psychic visions and creative insight.

On the Moh’s scale used for measuring hardness with diamond being the highest at 10 Iolite comes in at 7-7.5 which means it is about mid range for your usual high quality gemstones. That is significant as it will chip and scratch but will also stand up to normal wear and tear

They knew a secret about iolite which may have changed the course of history. They used it as a navigation tool. By looking through the crystal they could see the direction of the sun on overcast days

The lighter blues and greys are less expensive with the richer the blue colour being the more expensive. It is not a birthstone and as a significant gemstone perhaps iolite’s time has not come yet but it is getting more and more popular every day so expect to see it become very popular in coming years. Iolite is the gem used to celebrate the 21st wedding anniversary. This versatile and beautiful violet-blue gemstone has its own unique beauty. The Vikings used lenses of iolite as polarizing filters to navigate by the sun.