Sodalite is a blue natural stone with white veins. It is a mineral that forms deep inside the earth, in rock that is rich in sodium. In jewelry you often see it as a smooth bead or as a polished stone on an earring. In Dutch it is called sodaliet, but the English name sodalite is the one you see most in shops.
Every stone looks different. One is almost evenly dark blue, another has wide white stripes. That natural pattern is exactly why people love sodalite. Below you can read where the stone comes from, how to recognize it and how it wears as jewelry.
Saturn Bracelet Small Sodalite
Where does the name sodalite come from?
The name tells you right away something about what is inside the stone. The first part comes from sodium, and lithos is Greek for stone. So sodalite really means sodium stone.
In 1811 the Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson described the mineral for the first time. He studied pieces of rock from Greenland. On Wikipedia you will find the full chemical formula, for anyone who loves details.
What does real sodalite look like?
You can recognize sodalite by a few fixed features.
Color and white veins
The color ranges from royal blue to grayish blue. White veins or small spots run through the stone. They usually come from other minerals, such as calcite. No two stones have exactly the same pattern.
Shine and feel
Polished sodalite has a soft, glassy shine. The stone feels cool when you first pick it up. It is opaque, so you cannot look through it like you can with rock crystal.
Earring Gemstones Small Oval Sodalite
How hard is sodalite?
On the Mohs hardness scale, sodalite scores 5.5 to 6. That is about as hard as glass. So the stone is strong enough for daily wear, but it does notice a hard knock.
In practice you notice this mostly with rings. A ring sits on the part of your hand that touches things most often. So take it off when you do odd jobs, sports or gardening. A bracelet or earring has a much quieter life.
Where is sodalite found?
Sodalite comes from several parts of the world. Well known sources are in Canada, Brazil, Namibia and Greenland.
Canada in particular has a special story. In 1901 the British royal family received a piece of deep blue sodalite from Bancroft. Soon after, a large shipment went to London to decorate Marlborough House. Since then, deep blue Canadian sodalite is also sold as Princess Blue.
How does sodalite wear in jewelry?
Sodalite is easy to combine, because blue goes with almost every outfit. With a beaded bracelet you see the pattern of the stone all around your wrist. The Saturn bracelets have beads of 4 or 6 mm, are 18 cm long and the metal is 925 sterling silver.
You choose between two finishes. Gold Plated is a layer of 14 carat gold on the silver. That warm color creates a lovely contrast with the cool blue. Rhodium Plated has a bright, white shine and makes the look fresh and calm.
Every piece is handmade. Craftspeople in Italy, Bangkok and Hong Kong make the jewelry by hand, using techniques that are centuries old. The founder of the brand visits these workshops regularly and checks every detail, from the clasp to the setting of a stone.
Beaded Ring Facet Roundel Sodalite
Which types of sodalite are there?
Besides the well known blue stone, there are a few special varieties.
Blue sodalite
This is the form you see in almost all jewelry. The deeper and more even the blue, the higher the quality. Stones with more white look lighter and more playful.
Hackmanite
Hackmanite is a rare pink to purple variety. This stone changes color under the influence of light. That effect is called tenebrescence, and collectors love hackmanite for it.
Sunset sodalite
In this variety, blue sodalite and orange feldspar sit together in one stone. The result is a warm contrast, a bit like a sunset over the sea.
Is sodalite an expensive gemstone?
No, sodalite is an affordable stone. It is fairly common, so it is less rare than sapphire, for example. A deep and even blue is worth more than a grayish stone with a lot of white.
With jewelry, what surrounds the stone matters most. Think of the metal, the finish and the work of the maker. The specifications of this jewelry list “Natural stone” as the gemstone type. Want to know exactly what that difference means? Then read about natural and synthetic gemstones.
Ready to discover sodalite?
Sodalite is a stone with character, in a color that always looks calm. Still choosing between stones? Then also take a look at the other gemstone bracelets. Or go straight to all jewelry with sodalite and pick your favorite shape.
Frequently asked questions about sodalite
I’m happy to answer a few frequently asked questions:
Is sodalite a blue gemstone?
Yes, the best known sodalite is blue with white veins. Rare colors also exist, such as a pink variety called hackmanite. In jewelry you almost always come across the blue form.
Is sodaliet the same as sodalite?
Yes. Sodaliet is the Dutch name, sodalite the English one. Many jewelry brands use the English name in their product titles.
Why does my sodalite have white spots?
Those white spots and veins are part of the stone. They come from minerals that grew into the stone while it formed. They actually show that you are wearing a natural stone.
Want to know more, or have questions? The experts at Sparkling Jewels are happy to help.
