Brazil A sodalite bracelet (5-6mm balls)

Sodalite gets its name from the noun “soda” meaning “sodium” and “lithos” meaning “stone”. It literally translates to sodium stone or even salt stone.
Sodalite is a mineral species of the silicate group, subgroup of feldspathoid tectosilicates, composed of aluminum chloride and sodium silicate. This subgroup has a low silica content. Sodalite is found in igneous rocks and in meteorites.

Sodalite is often confused with lapis lazuli, which is a combination of several minerals. Lapis lazuli contains haüyne, sodalite, calcite, and pyrite. It should be noted that pyrite is extremely rare in sodalite.

Sodalite occurs as isolated grains in rock or in massive aggregates, but very rarely as separate crystals. It is most often blue in color with white and black inclusions. Sometimes the stone is colorless, gray, yellow, green, white or red. It is most often opaque and very rarely translucent.

Some sodalites exhibit a phenomenon of tenebrescence or reversible photochromism. In the dark, the stone retains its shine thanks to the phenomenon of phosphorescence. Then, it loses its magnificent color. This phenomenon is very random: not all sodalites, coming from the same deposit, have this property.

It has a hardness of between 5.5 and 6 on the Mohs scale. For comparison, diamond has a hardness of 10, the highest on this same scale.

Sodalite was discovered and identified at the beginning of the 19th century. However, the Romans already used sodalite but in a gray or greenish color. This is the sodalite of Vesuvius. 17,000 years ago, the volcano “la Somma” collapsed and gave birth to Vesuvius. The lava released by Vesuvius contains sodalite.

Furthermore, archaeological excavations have revealed offerings composed of fragments of sodalite, quartz, figurines dating back to 2000 BC in northern Peru. Later (between 1 and 800 AD), remarkable jewelry created by the Mochica civilization in gold including sodalite, turquoise and chrysocolla was found.

In the early 19th century, Thomas Thomson (1818-1852), a famous Scottish chemist and physician, identified sodalite and gave it his name.

In 1901, Mary, Princess of Wales and wife of George V, during her visit to the Buffalo World's Fair, fell in admiration for Bancroft sodalite from Canada. 130 tons were then shipped to England to decorate the princely residence of Marlborough (now: headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat).

Since 1961, the Bancroft quarries have been accessible to the public. Anyone with a bucket can collect sodalite. The only requirement is to wear closed shoes!

The main deposits are located in Brazil, Namibia, Egypt, etc.

Sodalite is a stone that reassures people who lack self-confidence about their abilities. These people no longer have the constant need to prove their worth. This stone soothes them and calms their stress. It gives them serenity, removes their tendency to aggression or sarcasm. It gives them a much better self-esteem or on the contrary humility.

Sodalite is a stone of stability that is suitable for hypersensitive people. It allows them to better control their emotions, reduces anxiety and panic attacks. It helps them overcome life's difficulties without panicking. Thus, people can calmly analyze the situation and have the appropriate reaction.

Moreover, sodalite is a stone that accentuates logic and is particularly suitable for people who like mathematics. It channels thought in a rational way and generates quality reasoning.

This beautiful blue stone is a stone of openness towards others. It provokes attention, listening and understanding from others. The person becomes empathetic and full of compassion. He is sincere and seeks to help his interlocutor.

The rather dark sodalite provides effective protection against harmful influences and people with negative emotions. The sodalite, rather veined with white, encourages creativity and facilitates group cohesion. It emits soothing and relaxing energies in its environment.