IDOCRASE

With beautiful green hues, Idocrase or Vesuvianite was originally discovered at Mount Vesuvius in Italy and is named after its origin. In the gem world, it is also known by its pseudonym, Idocrase, which is derived from Greek: “idea” meaning “likeness” and “krasis” meaning “mixture”. As with many gemstones that are discovered on or very close to volcanoes, Vesuvianite is a metamorphic gemstone. Its wonderful greenish blue colour, which is easily distinguishable from almost any other gemstone, receives its appealing hue from the presence of copper. In addition to Mount Vesuvius, California and Norway, the gem has also been discovered in Québec, Canada, The Ural Mountains in Russia, and in Switzerland.