metamorphic
Blue sodalite-bearing rock
Likely sodalite (Na₈(Al₆Si₆O₂₄)Cl₂) in a white feldspathic matrix; exact identification is uncertain from the image.
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectRough, deep-blue and white mottled specimen with a vitreous-to-greasy luster. Sodalite has Mohs hardness 5.5–6, a cubic crystal structure, and poor cleavage; the white areas may be feldspar or calcite.
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Physical properties
Rough, deep-blue and white mottled specimen with a vitreous-to-greasy luster. Sodalite has Mohs hardness 5.5–6, a cubic crystal structure, and poor cleavage; the white areas may be feldspar or calcite.
Formation & geological history
Sodalite typically forms in silica-poor, sodium-rich igneous rocks such as nepheline syenite, rather than metamorphic rock. Such rocks crystallized in alkaline magmatic settings, commonly during the Precambrian or younger; this specimen’s age and locality cannot be determined visually.
Uses & applications
Sodalite is used as an ornamental stone, in carvings and beads, and occasionally as a lapidary material; it has limited industrial use.
Geological facts
Sodalite is named for its sodium content and can fluoresce orange under ultraviolet light, though fluorescence varies.
Field identification & locations
The vivid blue color with white veining suggests sodalite, but lapis lazuli is another possibility; lazurite-bearing lapis commonly contains brassy pyrite flecks, not evident here. A hardness test or mineral analysis would help distinguish them; sodalite occurs in alkaline igneous complexes worldwide, including Canada and Greenland.
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