A fairly common
gemstone, which is not too well known because it so often looks like something else. It has the nickname "water
sapphire" because it is usually bright blue, but unlike sapphire will appear lavender or gray when viewed from a different angle. (Usually the
gems are cut so the brightest color is seen most easily.) Because of this
pleochroic property, it is hard to cut and
facet.
Gem-quality iolite is usually from Sri Lanka or Madagascar, and the stones are found in alluvial deposits. These water-worn stones are rarely very large, not more than one carat.