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- 1. Sugilite
- 2. The History and Meaning of Sugilite
- 3. Mataphysical Properties and Chemical Properties of Sugilite
- 4. Types of Sugilite
- 4-1. Purple sugilite
- 4-2. Plum sugilite
- 4-3. Lilac sugilite
- 4-4. Blue sugilite
- 4-5. Webbed sugilite
- 4-6. Leopard skin sugilite
- 4-7. Chalcedony sugilite
- 4-8. Sugilite jade
- 5. Deposits and Value of Sugilite
- 6. Healing Properties of Sugilite
- 7. Metaphysical Properties of Sugilite
- 8. Sugilite for sale by KenKenGems
Sugilite
This stone is a rarity. Not every gemstone enthusiast has it in their collection. Its royal purple color is a real feast for the eye and powerful vibrations are indispensable to cure the body, mind, and soul. This post is about sugilite, a marvelous jewel unearthed less than a hundred years ago.
The History and Meaning of Sugilite
Sugilite is one of the youngest minerals since it was discovered in the middle of the XX century. In 1944, Japanese mineralogist Kenichi Sugi was studying the southern area of the Iwagi islet. During his expedition, he came across beautiful purple stones. Although these stones had many impurities and were of rather poor quality, Sugi realized that he had bumped into a hitherto unknown mineral. When his guess got confirmed, the stone was named after its discoverer. A dozen years later, deposits of sugilite were found in India. Nevertheless, the stone was known only in the circles of gemologists and mineral collectors while remaining a mystery in the jewelry business.
The situation changed in 1975 when a large deposit of gem-quality sugilite was discovered in the Kalahari Desert. The stones queried in the Wessels mine delighted with luxurious colors ranging from delicate lilac to deep purple. These specimens acquired a trade name wesselite glorifying the place of their extraction.
Along with that, sugilite is also known as lavulite, purple turquoise, and royal azel. The term lavulite refers to jewelry-quality specimens of lilac or lavender color. Royal azels boast vibrant purple hues that resemble royal cloaks. Sugilite is dubbed purple turquoise because similar to turquoise, it is opaque, with a waxy luster, and beautiful veining.
Metaphysical Properties and Chemical Properties of Sugilite
Sugilite is a sodium and potassium lithium silicate with iron, manganese, and aluminum as co-impurities. Opaque or translucent crystals of the mineral have imperfect cleavage, hexagonal structure, and they acquire a glassy or waxy luster after cutting. The colors of the stone vary from yellowish to purple, and they tend to be rich and expressive-looking.
Sugilite isn't particularly hard - it scores 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale. It is also pretty fragile, so if you opt for the mineral for your jewelry, you should treat it with lots of TLC.
The mineral features the effect of pleochroism, which means it can change its color when being viewed from different angles. Due to various inclusions and impurities, the color of the stone is heterogeneous - it has veins, spots, or transitions from darker to lighter shades.
Types of Sugilite
Purple sugilite
Purple sugilite is most prized for its vivid amethyst-like color. It blends saturated areas with pale and almost white patches.
Plum sugilite
Plum sugilite (plum rustica) is an extremely rare variety of the mineral. Stones of the statement rich purple color display dark swirly and bizarre patterns.
Lilac sugilite
Lilac sugilite offers a lighter color that is strewed with dynamic patterns comprised of gray, pink, and black patches.
Blue sugilite
Blue sugilite is a stone of predominantly royal blue color embellished with spots and swirls of various colors such as pink, purple, lilac, black, and gray.
Webbed sugilite
Webbed sugilite displays an intricate web and veining due to inclusions. These patterns typically carry black, white, gray, pink, and yellow colors.
Leopard skin sugilite
Leopard skin sugilite is a spotted variety of the gem. These spots vary through white, black, brown, grey, and pink.
Chalcedony sugilite
Chalcedony sugilite is basically an amalgamation of two different minerals. Such stones are of reddish-purple colors and exhibit a black matrix.
Sugilite jade
Sugilite jade is a blend of sugilite with quartz, feldspar, limonite, and chlorite.
Deposits and Value of Sugilite
For a long time, African fields remained the only source of high-quality sugilites. However, extensive extraction has led to the complete depletion of the deposits. Luckily, a few more sugilite fields have been discovered in Canada, India, Australia, Tajikistan, and Italy.
That being said, the natural reserves of the stone aren’t large and since its discovery, only a few tons of the mineral have been unearthed.
The value of the stone varies dramatically depending on many factors such as color saturation, quality, the beauty of patterns, complexity of cutting, etc. The finest specimens can have prices of hundreds of dollars per carat. At the same time, it won't be hard to find cheap sugilite specimens that cost just a few dollars.
Healing Properties of Sugilite
Despite being a relatively new addition to the gemstone family, sugilite was able to win favor with folk healers and alternative medicine due to its vast healing properties. It is known that the stone is able to relieve headaches and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. If you wear it every day, you can benefit from boosted immunity and increased resistance to colds. The mineral neutralizes depression and alleviates anxiety, for good measure.
Sugilite treatment can be carried out in a few ways. For instance, you can place the stone on the solar plexus and in the center of your palm to let its vibrations synchronize with those of your body. Some healers recommend lubricating the stone with special oils to booster the healing effect.
Traditional medicine claims that healing sessions with sugilite ensure a peaceful state of mind and sound sleep. Along with that, contemplation of the mineral, especially specimens of rich purple colors, helps relieve eye strain and delay age-related vision decline.
Metaphysical Properties of Sugilite
Purple stones are highly prized by sorcerers and mediums, and sugilite is no exception. It is believed that the mineral increases psychic and clairvoyance capabilities, as well as the ability to immerse oneself in a proper state for astral projection.
Psychics recommend sugilite talismans if the harmony between your mental and physical wellbeing is disrupted. Aside from that, they are able to protect against hostile energies, ill-wishers, and malevolent gazes. You can rely on the mineral to improve your stress resistance, provide tranquility, and dispel bad thoughts.
Color therapy insists that violet-lilac colors have a positive effect on the areas of the brain responsible for creativity. So, if you have something to do with art, studying, or development, sugilite of this color is a must.
Sugilite for sale by KenKenGems
Can you miss a chance to get your hands on beautiful gemstones that are at a premium? If your answer is ‘no’, then you’ve come to the right place. KenKenGems offers fine specimens of sugilite delivered from the best mines around the world. We provide two options: luxurious cabochon-shaped beads of stunning purplish-blue color and inexpensive strands assembled from dark-colored sugilite stones. Either way, you get marvelous rare stones admired by mineral connoisseurs and jewelry buffs.
