Cordierite (Iolite)
925 silver bracelets, beads and pendants

Opening up to spirituality means finding a key. One that allows you to enter into a new dialogue with yourself, without losing sight of the facts of your reality.
It's particularly useful when a situation seems hopeless, when difficulties pile up, when you doubt your choices and risk ending up adapting to something that doesn't suit you. That's when you need a new perspective.

Cordierite can help you find the courage, perseverance and stamina you need to face up to the chaos while meeting your daily obligations, without letting yourself be destabilized or overwhelmed.

It can help you analyze problems and accept that things don't always turn out as you'd imagined. New links can emerge from the combination of your logical sense, your imagination and your intuition when you allow them to work together. From this new alliance can emerge tremendous support in the most unpleasant situations, and present valuable leads to follow.

Thus, by encouraging the circulation of energies between the top of your skull and your roots, it enables you to open up to spirituality without losing your sense of reality. It's an excellent stone for shamanic journeys, meditation, vision quests or for exploring your unknown extrasensory abilities.

Cordierite can also help with sleep disorders, nightmares and nocturnal anxiety.

Physically, it stimulates energy flow in the meridians and can help boost physical performance. An analgesic and antispasmodic in lithotherapy, it can relieve pain and cramps.

How to use Cordierite

• To promote visions, place a Cordierite on your forehead during your quest.
• in case of pain, place the stone directly on the affected area and secure with a bandage
• To fully benefit from its virtues on a daily basis, wear it regularly, preferably next to your skin.

Where to place a Cordierite?

• A Cordierite will diffuse energies which can help to create bubbles of serenity when the family, personal or professional climate becomes difficult to live with.
• under the pillow or on the bedside table, it can promote sleep and reduce nocturnal anxiety.
• it's ideal for living rooms, offices or workplaces.

Cordierite, for whom?

• It's perfect for people who are opening up to spirituality, as it encourages this path while keeping you fully aware of material realities.
• for anyone in a difficult situation.

Which crystals amplify the virtues of Cordierite in lithotherapy?

• Amethyst strengthens inner vision
• combined with Quartz prase, Cordierite promotes spiritual communication
• combined with Labradorite, it favors listening to intuition.

Cordierite in mineralogy

Cordierite (Iolite) is formed during the metamorphosis of magnesium- and aluminum-rich sediments. It can form short, prismatic crystals, but is most often found as grains scattered throughout the rock.

It is a and silicate containing iron, manganese and zircon. When eroded, it can transform into Chlorite or Mica.

Did you know?

Its colors range from gray-blue to mauve-violet and transparent crystals can exhibit polychromism: depending on the angle of observation and the light, Cordierite can appear yellow to beige.

Some cabochon-cut specimens may have a cat's-eye effect.

Cordierite is acid and fire resistant.

The history of Cordierite

It's named after Pierre-Louis-Antoine Cordier, who described the mineral in 1809. "Dichroite" is one of its former names (it is actually "trichoite", 3 colors) and "Iolite" is the name given to it by Professor Abraham Werner because of its color, from the Greek ion meaning violet and lithos, stone. This name is mainly used for its gem quality.

It's beautifully nicknamed "Water Sapphire", although it has nothing in common with a sapphire, apart from its color.
The Greeks linked it to Athena and her emblematic animal, the owl.

Along with Calcite and Sunstone, it is one of the 3 stones believed to have been used by the Vikings to orient themselves at sea using the light amplification technique - to make their sun compasses work on overcast days.

As a refractory material with low thermal conductivity and dielectric insulating properties, it has been and still is widely used for industrial purposes, notably for insulating electrical resistors, making burner tubes and manufacturing kiln furniture in the ceramics industry. It is also used in oven dishes and baking trays.

It is also a highly prized gemstone for jewelry. The cut of certain specimens makes for refined jewelry.