Charoite

The beautiful “Lilac stone” was first discovered in the 1940s in the Chara River area in the Sakha Republic, Russia. The purple gemstone is mainly composed of the mineral charoite. This dominant mineral gives it the distinctive range of violet and lavender colors, which can vary even within a single specimen. Its characteristic swirling pattern is due to its fibrous crystals arrayed in complex, interlocking patterns and occasionally produces a soft chatoyant glow. The mix of other minerals includes prismatic orange tinaksite crystals, pale greenish grey microcline feldspar, and greenish black aegirine-augite crystals, makes each piece intrinsically different and desirable.