RARE Dark Purple Sugilite (South Africa) Rondelle 12mm Beads, 15 Inch Strand 55-57 Beads
12x7mm Beads
Sugilite is a rare and highly sought-after cyclosilicate mineral, famous for its vibrant, "grape jelly" purple to pinkish-red colors. Prized as a gemstone and a holistic healing crystal, its value is driven by its rarity, striking appearance, and the presence of trace manganese.
First identified in 1944 on Iwagi Islet, Japan, by Japanese petrologist Ken-ichi Sugi, it originally presented as an obscure, yellowish-green mineral. It wasn’t until large deposits of gem-quality, deep purple sugilite were discovered in the Wessels manganese mine in the Kalahari Desert of South Africa that the stone gained global popularity. Other smaller deposits exist in Canada and Italy.
