Lolite Gemstone

Lolite is a transparent to translucent gemstone variety of the mineral cordierite, prized for its deep violet‑blue color and its strong pleochroism—meaning it shows different colors when viewed from different angles (typically blue, violet, and yellow‑gray). Because of this effect, it has historically been called the “Viking’s Compass,” as Vikings reportedly used thin pieces of iolite to help navigate by detecting the sun’s position on cloudy days.