SUGILITE
Sugilite is a rare purple cyclosilicate mineral that was named after the Japanese petrologist, Ken-ichi Sugi, who first identified it in 1944 in Iwagi Islet. This gemstone gets its attractive purple color from traces of manganese, and it can range in color from pinkish-purple to deep bluish-purple.
A significant deposit of gem-quality material was discovered in 1979 at a manganese mine in the Southern Kalahari Desert of South Africa. Since then, additional deposits have been discovered, but since these are small, it remains a rare gem.
