MINING ROCKSTAR OF THE WEEK – SODALITE!!

Sodalite is a rare rock-forming mineral best known for its blue to blue-violet colour. It has a chemical composition of Na4Al3Si3O12Cl and is a member of the feldspathoid mineral group. High-quality sodalite is used as a gemstone, a sculptural material, and an architectural stone. Sodalite occurs in igneous rocks that crystallized from sodium-rich magmas. This is the origin of the name "sodalite." These magmas also contained so little silicon and aluminium that quartz and feldspar minerals are often absent. Sodalite-bearing rocks include: nepheline syenite, trachyte, and phonolite. These types of rocks are so rare that most geologists never see them in the field. Well-known sources of sodalite include: Litchfield, Maine; Magnet Cove, Arkansas; northern Namibia; Golden, British Columbia; Bancroft, Ontario; Kola Peninsula of Russia; and the Ilimaussaq intrusive complex of Greenland - "Geology.com".