Brazil Sodalite Gemstone Beads

Sodalite was discovered in Greenland in 1806, but was not widely used as an ornamental stone until 1891 when large deposits were discovered in Ontario, Canada. On a visit to Ontario, Princess Patricia, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, chose Sodalite as interior decoration for Marlborough House in England, hence the alternative name for this beautiful gemstone: Princess Blue.

This particular variation of sodalite contains a white speckling that defines it as Brazil sodalite.

Named for its sodium content, Sodalite is a rich royal blue member of the feldspathoid mineral family.