Sodalite

Communication • Honesty • Freedom • Logic • Intuition • Self-expression • Throat issues

Energetic properties

Sodalite brings insight into yourself and helps you stay true to who you are. It promotes self-acceptance, self-respect, and self-confidence, acting as a guide on your personal journey. It supports a longing for freedom, idealism, truth, and expressing your opinions and emotions. It also strengthens logic, rational thinking, and objectivity. The stone absorbs electromagnetic radiation and encourages deep, insightful meditation. Physically, it can help with ailments of the throat, neck, larynx, and vocal cords. It also reduces fever, lowers blood pressure, and has a cooling effect.

Suitable for children from around 6 years old.

Formation

Sodalite typically forms in igneous rocks like syenite and nepheline syenite, which are rich in feldspar minerals. It develops during the final stages of the cooling process, when silica-rich fluids are released. These fluids react with feldspar to form sodalite.

The formation of sodalite is a complex, long-term process that requires specific chemical conditions and the presence of elements such as sodium, aluminum, silicon, and chlorine. Hydrothermal processes can also contribute, in which hot water solutions alter the minerals in the host rock.

Sodalite's blue color results from the presence of aluminum and silicon in the crystal lattice. These elements absorb certain wavelengths of light; mainly in the orange and red part of the spectrum, causing the stone to reflect blue light. The presence of other elements and impurities may cause color variations, such as white calcite veins or shades of gray or green.

Etymology

Its name comes from the high sodium content in the mineral. The word 'sodalite' is derived from the Latin 'sodanum' (meaning 'sodium') and the Greek 'lithos' (meaning 'stone').

Care

Sodalite is relatively hard and durable and doesn’t require special care. It can be cleaned under running water and gently patted dry with a soft cloth. It may also be cleansed and recharged using sage, incense or moonlight.

Origin

Can be found in various parts of the world, including Canada, Russia, Brazil, the United States, Namibia and India.

Availability

Sodalite is relatively common and found worldwide, so it is generally not considered rare. However, it can vary in quality and size, and certain rare forms; such as crystals with internal inclusions, stones with a deep blue color, or specimens of exceptional size, can be more valuable.

Properties

Composition: Na₄(Si₃Al₃)O₁₂Cl
Hardness: 5-6
Density: 2.1-2.3

Associated with Sodalite