noun
- Plural of iolite; a violet-blue or grayish-blue mineral (aluminum silicate) used as a gemstone and historically as a navigation aid.
Usage: mineralogy; gemology; also called dichroite or water sapphire
Examples
- The jeweler polished several iolites for the new collection.
- Iolites are prized for their striking blue-violet color and pleochroism.
- Viking navigators may have used iolites as a navigation tool to locate the sun through clouds.
- These iolites were mined in Madagascar and Brazil.
- The gemstone display featured iolites alongside sapphires and tanzanites.