Natural Iolite (Water Sapphire) Chip Necklace

Iolite Chip Necklace (Water Sapphire) Natural from Brazil. This necklace is approximately 30 centimeters in diameter. The name comes from the Greek word “ion”, which means violet, in honor of the bluish-purple tone that this gem usually has. In addition to the beautiful color, it has a beautiful story to tell! Just like the inspiration for the collection, it comes from the Norse world, more precisely from the Vikings. Let's get to the facts: When Leif Eriksson and other legendary Vikings explored the Atlantic Ocean, far from any coast that could help them determine their position, they possessed a secret weapon: iolite. Sailors used fine pieces of this gem as the world's first polarizing filter, and by looking through iolite lenses, they were able to determine the exact position of the Sun, and navigate safely to the New World. to indicate the position of the Sun on cloudy days. Iolite captures and reflects the few rays of light that propagate through air molecules, even on very cloudy days. And how does this happen? Thanks to its extreme pleochroism. There is?! This complicated name refers to the mineral that has distinct colors in different directions of the crystal. If we cut a piece of iolite into the shape of a cube, on one side it will be violet-blue, similar to the color of a sapphire, on the other, it will be transparent like water, and on the top, honey yellow. In the past, this property caused many to call iolite “water sapphire”, a name that is no longer used. Pleochroism was useful for navigation, but it certainly makes the work of cutting the stone very difficult, as if the iolite is not cut correctly, no matter the shape of the raw crystal, its color will not be shown to its fullest. The richer and more intense its shade of blue, the more valuable it is.