Iolite 6mm Tear Drop Faceted - 15-16 Inch AUGUST2022-LAUNCH03 **The strand pictured is banded

**The strand pictured is banded but the strand you receive may not be banded

This stone is a combination of two very similar materials: Azurite is a deep blue mineral produced by weathered copper ore deposits

milky white to pale yellow in color

but those varieties are transparent

meaning that their facets were cut using industrial grade diamond

Iolite 6mm Tear Drop Faceted - 15-16 Inch AUGUST2022-LAUNCH03 **The strand pictured is bandedIolite most commonly occurs in shades of blue to gray, violet or indigo. It displays a visual property called pleochroism, which means that it can appear to be different colors as it shifts in the light. According to Norse legend, Viking explorers used thin pieces of Iolite as the worlds first polarizing lens to help them determine the exact location of the sun for navigation.