Violets for Irene

Iolite is a pretty gemstone that appears different colours depending upon which direction it is viewed: a cube cut from iolite will look a violet-blue from one side, clear as water from the other, and a honey yellow from the top. It sounds almost magical.

Raw iolite. Image from fortunecity.com

The name iolite was derived from the Greek word for violet: ios. It has also been called ‘water sapphire’ because it looks very much like a blue sapphire. Another name was ‘Viking’s Compass’. Supposedly the Vikings used pieces of iolite as a polarising filter to determine the exact position of the sun, and allow them to navigate safely when far from familiar coastlines. And – rather bizarrely – it is also apparently a talisman for people named Irene!

… rather bizarrely [iolite] is also apparently a talisman for people named Irene!

Faceted iolite rondelles. Image from Dragon’s Treasure Hoard.Most iolite is mined in Brazil, Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Mozambique and Zimbabwe – how exotic. The Vikings probably mined theirs from deposits in Norway and Greenland.

My earrings are composed of tiny silver flowers with faceted iolite centres, linked together. So pretty and delicate, they crumple easily like a real chain of violets. 

Check out additional images in the Out-takes & Extras Gallery.