Sodalite (var: Hackmanite)

This is one of only a handful of Hackmanite gems that I've had to offer from Afghanistan, as they are amazingly difficult to find. Sodalite is a very durable stone and that's why it is so popular among dealers and collectors alike. The gem variety of Sodalite is called Hackmanite and the material is tenebrescent, which is the process by which a mineral changes daylight color after being exposed to ultra-violet light.

This particular stone shows a good fluorescence under both LW and SW UV light, which is what causes the tenebresence. The stone fluoresces an electric orange hue under LW UV light and a softer pinkish orange hue in SW UV light and then will actually turn a stronger PURPLE color in daylight after being exposed to prolonged UV light. It will then return to its original purple color after being exposed to prolonged daylight (tenebresence). This process is 100% repeatable and in no way hurts the stone.

This gem has an "Oval" cut and is included as most of this material does have inclusions. It's nearly impossible to find completely clean stones unless they are exceptionally small.

Item #HACKAFGH066