Judging quality
Top grade is opaque, saturated grape purple with a fine even texture; 'gel' sugilite is translucent and rare. Supply is finite and the price reflects it.
Cyclosilicate
Sugilite
Deep violet manganese silicate, effectively a single-deposit stone: virtually all gem sugilite comes from the Wessels Mine in the Kalahari manganese field.
Care
Reasonably durable but porous. Wipe clean; avoid solvents.
History & lore
First described from Japan in 1944 and only found in gem quality in South Africa in the late 1970s.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Sugilite
- What is Sugilite?
- Deep violet manganese silicate, effectively a single-deposit stone: virtually all gem sugilite comes from the Wessels Mine in the Kalahari manganese field.
- How hard is Sugilite and what is it made of?
- Sugilite is a Cyclosilicate-family mineral with the composition KNa2(Fe,Mn,Al)2Li3Si12O30. It crystallizes in the hexagonal system and rates 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in violet, magenta.
- Where does Sugilite come from?
- Notable localities for Sugilite include South Africa (Wessels Mine), Japan, Canada.
- How do you tell good Sugilite from filler?
- Top grade is opaque, saturated grape purple with a fine even texture; 'gel' sugilite is translucent and rare. Supply is finite and the price reflects it.
- How do you care for Sugilite?
- Reasonably durable but porous. Wipe clean; avoid solvents.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.