Seafaring Vikings used iolite to filter the haze and glare from their eyes, and its power over the sun aided these fearless warriors in navigating the vast oceans upon which they sailed.

    Iolite is a relatively plentiful stone offering an excellent substitute to the more expensive blue Sapphire. It is a trichroic (three-colored) gemstone, which means it shows different colors when viewed from different directions -- usually deep blue, violet blue, and light gray. Since the blue color is normally oriented to be viewed from the table, most people consider Iolites to be blue.

    Iolite, mined in India, Sri Lanka, Africa and Brazil. Its name is from the Greek "ek "los", meaning violet.