Cordierite: Garnet Beads

In mineralogy, iolite has its origin in the magnesium iron aluminum cyclosilicate compound referred to cordierite, named for French geologist, P.L.A. Cordier. Found in such far-ranging locations as Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and Canada, the transparent variety of cordierite is used to make iolite beads. The word for these double hued nuggets comes from the Greek term for violet, and their color varies beautifully from a deep sapphire to violet blue to even a goldish gray and pale azure, depending on the play of light. Garnet beads and Jasper beads can be found in even more far-ranging hues. Surprisingly, the complete spectrum of colors shows in this group of minerals, ranging from the common purplish red to a vibrant green.

The rarest form of garnet was discovered in Madagascar in the late 1990s. Filling the spectral gap with their vivid blue-green changing to purple in incandescent light, these blue garnets joined the rarest specimens capable of color-variation. In these, the high volume of vanadium, relative to other elements, accounts for their blue color. Garnet beads are commonly available in reds and golds and some orange hues, all rich in warm tones. Blue topaz beads, quite the opposite of garnets, are mostly yellow and wine in their natural form and can be modified through irradiation to yield brilliant blues.

Blues, then, can be found in all three mineral types: garnet, topaz, and iolite. The cuts available in blue topaz beads, briolettes, and rondelles beautifully emphasize their sparkling aquamarine qualities, pure as a blue lagoon. Beads that coordinate nicely with the topaz are the inky blue iolite beads, available in briolettes, rondelles, nuggets, and pear-shaped. Like their counterparts, these are transparent and evoke mystery and elegance all at once. Moving away even further across the color spectrum from the greenish blues to the redder blues, rhodolite garnets filter light through their purplish facets and rest nicely alongside topaz and iolite pieces. Together these stones can be assembled in necklaces, earrings, bracelets or other creations. Look around on our store for the best wholesale gemstone beads.