“It’s very hard to source,” Anastasia told me one Thursday afternoon. I carefully studied the rings our jewelry buyer was showing the team. Stylish white gold mounts presented three juicy, grape-colored stones. To my eye, they weren’t amethyst. “Hackmanite,” she concluded.
“It’s a rare color-changing stone,” she continued. Each stone markedly transitioned from its juicy grape color to a succulent tangerine. I hadn’t seen such a unique color shift in over a decade of working with colored gemstones.
I was surprised. As with most things, I reach out to trusted experts when I’m stumped. Popping into our group text, I queried Becky Booker and Cheryl Els – both Graduate Gemologists and Shop LC Hosts. With decades of expertise under their belts, I could trust these two if anyone knew anything!
“It’s new to me,” said Becky. “I’ve only heard of it,” Cheryl shared with me. “Never seen [it]. Rare as a brontosaurus burger!”
Okay then. It’s time to dive deep and see what we can uncover.
What is Hackmanite Stone?
At its core, what we call hackmanite is a variety of sodalite. Sodalite is usually blue due to the presence of sodium. However, hackmanite is sulfur-rich, which helps create an entirely different color. Generally, it shows a pale pink to violet. However, high-quality materials, like these rings’ gems, deliver a rich violet. Other hackmanites can be creamy-white and shift to a pink-red or violet color.
Now, sodalite itself is a relatively common material. However, hackmanite sets itself apart for its scarce visual phenomenon. The hackmanite crystal exhibits an unusual ability known as tenebrescence, meaning that normal daylight will make the stone fade. However, here is where things get interesting. The color will return when placed in darkness or exposed to short-wave ultraviolet (UV) light!
Under controlled conditions, lab-tested stones took a few hours to about a day to show maximum fading. On the other hand, stones require only a few minutes of exposure to short-wave UV light to restore color.
Until recently, facetable hackmanite was virtually unknown. That means gem-quality stones have been available for only about 30 years. And, with the slow acceptance of new stones, hackmanite has taken a long time to get noticed on the market. And boy, did we notice!
Does Hackmanite Glow in the Dark?
Hackmanite is fluorescent. It reacts to ultraviolet light and shifts its color. In the case of these rings, this produces the color shift from violet to tangerine I was witnessing. But some scarce specimens do glow in the dark! A group of Finnish scientists studying hackmanite learned that an afterglow effect is visible in darkness when titanium is present. This phenomenon is called phosphorescence.
“In this research, we found out for the first time that there is actually a structural change involved in the color change process, as well. When the color changes, sodium atoms in the structure move relatively far away from their usual places and then return back. This can be called ‘structural breathing,’ and it does not destroy the structure even if it is repeated a large number of times,” reports Professor Mika Lastusaari from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Turku, Finland.
The research is essential, as this may be a new source of “persistent luminescence.” That’s the glowy-green stuff you see with glow-in-the-dark items, like stickers or a watch face. If we can reliably synthesize this sodalite variety, new possibilities for using this technology are open! How cool is that?
Is Hackmanite Natural?
These hackmanite gems are rare stones. According to a Gemological Institute of America report, hackmanite may be oiled to improve its transparency.
Where is Hackmanite Found?
This uniquely colored stone is known to occur in a handful of places worldwide – Canada, Greenland, Myanmar, and Afghanistan are the biggest producers. However, in most cases, these nuggets of material are opaque and not gemmy. Comparing these stones to the transparent specimens in the rings, there is a world of difference!
What Does Hackmanite Symbolize?
Sodalite is a gemstone of communication, and hackmanite benefits are no exception. Practitioners share that these gems help them speak their truths and aid with tapping into their intuition. Hackmanite healing properties may also include emotional balance, which some describe as a feeling of spiritual guidance. At times, I’ve seen sodalite associated with the star sign Sagittarius.
Hackmanite at Shop LC
“Are more coming?” I asked. “This is it,” Anastasia replied. “[It’s] very hard to find!”
Few times have I been shocked at the quality and rarity of gems coming to Shop LC. But, with this limited introduction of hackmanite, it is truly an occasion to remember. Only a lucky few will be able to secure their very own hackmanite ring. Will you be one of these few?
Catch our hackmanite jewelry while it lasts!
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