My mineral collection part 6, Sodalite

Today I will tell you about a mineral sodalite.
It was first discovered in 1811 in Greenland, but started being used for jewellery in 1891 after a large high quality deposit was found in Canada.

The deep blue colour resembles lapis lazuli so it is nicknamed poor man's lapise.

The interesting things about the mineral is that it fluorescence in UV light and it's name comes from the sodium content.

Here are the photos, enjoy.