Description of sodalite, its properties and subtleties of use

Among all existing minerals, many people consider diamonds and emeralds to be the best choice. Pyrope, jasper, carnelian, aventurine and many other stones are also well known and popular. Our article is devoted to the mineral, amazing in properties and beauty - sodalite.

Usually in everyday life sodalite is called “rock salt” or “rock soda”. The main component of the mineral is sodium (hence the name). The breed looks similar to lapis lazuli, which often causes unintentional confusion. Often this moment is used for deliberate deception. By chemical composition, the mineral belongs to sodium aluminosilicates, that is, along with the main substance it also contains a certain amount of aluminum and silicon.

All these metals do not exist in their pure form. They are chemically bound to oxygen as part of the mineral. The ratio of the components is as follows:

• sodium oxide - about 26%;
• silicon oxide - 37%;
• aluminum oxide - 31%;
• chlorine - about 7%.

It should be borne in mind that, unlike lapis lazuli, sodalite cannot contain sulfur impurities. But it is possible to detect such a difference only in laboratory conditions. Outwardly, it does not appear practically in any way. The similarity of minerals is also expressed in the presence of whitish spots. To rule out a mistake, we have to conduct a thorough examination.

Mostly sodalite appears as a result of volcanic activity. Often it is found in the mountainous regions of Portugal, Germany or Canada. There is also a number of Russian sources located on the Kola Peninsula.

Sodalite has to be found in alkaline rocks.

Mineral refers to the number of vein or, in other words, fills the cracking of the earth's crust. The rock is mined mainly in secondary deposits. The accessory type of sodalite is also present in the territory of Karelia (or rather, in its northern part). The main Russian arrays are Salmogorsky, Lesnaya Baraka, Afrikinda, and Gornozersky. There sodalite is surrounded:

• nepheline pyroxenites;
• urtites;
• Malinites;
• alkaline pegmatites.

Sodalite was found in the Ilmen mountains, where it is surrounded by apatites, cancrinites, calcites, pegmatoid miaskites. In the Cherry Mountains in the Urals, the mineral is an integral part of pegmatites with weak differentiation. Its formation was also detected in the Synnyr massif, located north of Lake Baikal. Secondary mineral deposits found in:

• Yakut massif Tomtor;
• Zaangarye;
• Burpal massif (west of Baikal);
• Murunsky massif (east of this lake);
• Botogolsky massif (eastern part of the Sayan mountains);
• Kuznetsk Alatau (among the nephelines);
• Tove;
• Mariupol massif;
• complexes Pambak, Tejsar, Shvanidzor (Armenia);
• Esilsky massif (Kazakhstan);
• a number of alkaline massifs in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

It is known that sodalite is present in the Greenland massifs of Ilimausac and Kangerlussuaq, in Czechoslovakia, Poland, the center of Italy, Romania and in the south of Portugal. There are mineral deposits on the African continent - in the massifs of Chilva, Chikola, Dzhunguni. There sodalite can be both a rock-forming and an accessory component. Sometimes they notice that it grows inside the feldspar. On the North American mainland, sodalite is found in the states of New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine, Montana, Arkansas, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia.

Another mineral is mined or present in:

• Republic of Korea;
• India
• Myanmar
• Great Britain;
• France
• Germany
• nepheline melanophonolites of Trinidad;
• ultraprecious phonolites of the Marquesas islands;
• New South Wales;
• meteorites Allende, Lance.

Unlike lapis lazuli, a mineral such as sodalite can have a more diverse color. Known patterns of gray, white, green and even red. The latter type was discovered in 1903 by the researcher Hackman.

Only a special technique helps to restore its original color.

Whitish spots characteristic of sodalite during chemical analysis turned out to be calcite occurrences. However, they can not give sun glare, like similar spots on lapis lazuli. The reason is the absence of an additional impurity of pyrite. The hardness of both stones is approximately the same. Their density also coincides (depending on the exact composition per 1 cubic cm of rock, from 0.0022 to 0.0024 kg).

Both minerals shine like glass. But sodalite shines more intensively and does not give a characteristic oily highlight. The mineral has many pores. Thanks to them, it abundantly absorbs foreign substances. This allows, for example, to change color when exposed to sodium vapor.

The name of the mineral was assigned in 1810. There is no evidence that he was known in the Middle Ages or earlier. The rarity of sodalite is associated with the features of its extraction from the surrounding rocks. The breed is characterized by cubic syngony and implicit cleavage. A kink can simply be uneven or mottled shells.

Sodalite can enter into ion-exchange reactions. It is sometimes treated with a file. Known stones:

• blue;
• blue (including with white veins and dots);
• green
• blue gray;
• yellow color.

People who are fond of extrasensory perception and magic consider sodalite to have a number of supernatural properties.The Indian belief says that the mineral enhances intuition and accelerates enlightenment. Often the stone is used as decoration by yogis. Based on the claims of astrologers, sodalite is most important for those born on the 12th lunar day. Stargazers also believe that the mineral is suitable for the elements of Scorpio, Sagittarius and Taurus.

Lovers of the supernatural often use sodalite for meditation. Quite often, it finds application in the rites of love magic (as an intensifier of interest in carriers).

Blue mineral contributes to the development of intuition, and yellow is considered an aid in the search for inner harmony. Psychics believe that red stones help restore vitality.

According to healers, sodalite helps those affected by radiation exposure. He is often advised also for those who have low or high blood pressure. Some lithotherapists say that the stone positively affects the state of the liver. According to some adherents of traditional medicine, the mineral helps to cope with the ailments of the liver and heart, kidneys, and even digestion. There is also an opinion according to which the stone will help with insomnia, a basic disease, weakening of bone tissue.

In the vast majority of cases, stone is used for jewelry in the shape of a cabochon. Faceted cutting is used only for transparent sodalites.. An opaque mineral is treated so that the texture and characteristic pattern are not lost. Therefore, sections are necessarily excluded and polishing is carried out only. It is aimed at the formation of rounded ornaments.

Sodalite is used not only in Europe, but also in Asia. There, jewelry is produced mainly of a religious nature. For rosaries about 0.3 m long, an average of 3 thousand rubles is paid. Beads suspended on threads are a kind of blank for needlework. 0.4 m of such a cord cost from 2 to 2.5 thousand rubles.

When buying raw fragments of sodalite 0.03-0.04 m long, 300 to 500 rubles are paid. The largest specimens (which are three times more) after polishing are sometimes from 3 to 4 thousand. For decorative purposes, square and triangular inserts are made from sodalite. In this case, be sure that there are large smooth areas. The mineral is valued by jewelers due to its medium hardness, even leading planet specialists work with it.

Note: in ancient times, sodalite was first used for decoration of Inca buildings. Blue mineral paint was prepared from the residues. In addition to the jewelry industry and the decorative decoration of buildings, sodalite is also used in optical instruments.

A description of the alleged healing properties and magical prejudices surrounding sodalite shows which people usually use it. But astrologers would not be astrologers if they had not tried to complicate matters as much as possible and to promote their additional services. They argue that when selecting a mineral, it is necessary to take into account not only the zodiac sign, but also many other factors. It would seem that more accurate information can be provided by the layout of special cards. Whether to trust such instructions or not is up to you.

Sodalite is compatible with:

• corals of various colors;
• crystal;
• malachite;
• amethyst;
• pink quartz (and no other stones).

In any case, jewelry should be stored on a soft support. When these things are not used, they are immediately cleaned in an airtight box. This is done to avoid exposure to sunlight. Only a soft cloth is taken for wiping.More information can be obtained upon purchase.

Details on the properties of sodalite see below.