Description
The first discovery of gem quality Sugilite was made 3200 feet below the ground in Wessels Manganese Mine in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. A single pocket yielded about 10 tons of gem material, and no other sources have yet been discovered. Although sugilite is one of the most popular of the “new age” stones, the best material is very rare and even the lower qualities are limited. The colour ranges from deep purple to light violet, frequently with black flecks. The material is either formed against or mixed with hard Black Manganese from which it cannot always be separated. it is also associated with other Manganese Minerals which causes it’s variation in colour.
