Whether or not you adore pink hues, the beauty of thulite will not fail to impress. We love this zoisite for its all-season vibes! It’s highly popular for its eclectic color range of light pink to rose-pink or dark red. If you’re curious about this beautiful pink gemstone, read on!
What is Thulite Gemstone?
Also known as rosaline, manganoan or Norwegian thulite, this variety of zoisite is loved for its rosy, pink appearance. No two crystals are alike, as each gem displays different gradients ranging from vibrant fuchsia to pastel pink. The color is caused to the presence of manganese.
It’s not right to simply call this stone a gem; it’s a calcium aluminum silicate mineral that is opaque. The shine or shimmer of this gemstone comes from its crystal-like qualities.
Interesting fact: It is the national gemstone of Norway!
Origin And History
This pink gemstone was discovered in 1820 at Sauland, Telemark, Norway. Swedish Chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg discovered it. The name “thulite” comes from the mythical island of Thule, which in legend includes Greenland, Iceland, and Norway.
Thulite Mining
Thulite is still found in the country where it was discovered. Besides the mines in Norway, this gemstone has mines in the United States, Austria, South Africa, Australia, and Namibia.
Although mining location does not affect the quality, color, or properties, the most popular variety is still Norwegian pink thulite. This variety is used for jewelry, and is a popular collector’s item. Shop LC uses only Norwegian thulite for its jewelry, making it stand out from other thulite jewelry available in the market.
Mine Accessibility
If you have dreamt of visiting gemstone mines, this is not the right one to choose.
Mines are in the middle of a forested area, making them hard to reach. The accessibility to these mines is further complicated due to swamps and mountains. To reach the mine must walk about 4.3 miles on foot as vehicles cannot travel beyond the highway.
Mining this gemstone is completely traditional as heavy machinery cannot reach the area. Miners usually dig pits and use a pulley system to extract the gemstone. Traditional tools like hammers, chisels, and more are used for mining purposes.
Once the stones are extracted, transportation is another big task. The extracted material is usually enormous and cannot be carried by men. For this reason, the stones are often airlifted by helicopters!
How Is It Different from Its Counterparts?
By now, you must be wondering, is it different from rhodonite or rhodochrosite? We mean, they all have the same hue. The answer to this is, yes, they all are completely different from each other!
Rhodonite is a pink gemstone, but it has darker hues than thulite. Also, the surface oxidation of rhodonite results in brown tints, which makes it appear different.
When it comes to rhodochrosite, the difference is more evident as this gemstone has a distinctive banding, unlike thulite.
Crafting Jewelry
Although this gemstone isn’t extremely rare, it is still uncommon. There is not a steady supply of high-quality rough coming from the mines. For this reason, it is hard to easily find thulite jewelry on the market.
Other than this, it is not as popular as other gemstones. So, it is not commonly found in a mass-market setting. However, you can find this gemstone jewelry with many independent jewelers. For this reason, the prices can be slightly higher than normal.
Shop LC has been working with thulite for over a decade and can procure this gemstone at a regular low price. It’s our unique business model which helps avoid regular retail mark-ups.
This gemstone is often featured in pendants and rings due to its opaque form. Beads are also popular in earrings, bracelets, and strand necklaces.
Thulite Healing Properties
This gemstone is believed to spread warmth, love, happiness, and kindness. With this gemstone’s soothing and comforting nature, it is said that one can put the past pains and troubles behind and move forward with compassion.
It’s also said to be comforting to those who have suffered mental or physical trauma. It is believed to encourage showmanship, eloquence, and extroversion.
Some suggest that the energy of this crystal enables one to put love into action with joy and charisma. Gem therapists say you will acquire the positive intentions of spreading unwavering love and kindness.
Chakra Association
Thulite is associated with the third eye and heart chakra. The heart chakra helps in viewing the world with the warmth, love, and compassion that we feel in our hearts.
Choosing Thulite
We’re certain if you were asked to name any gemstone, thulite wouldn’t be the first to come to mind! But, with new information and interesting facts, it’s our hope that you’ll consider this pink stone in the future.
Discover thulite jewelry at Shop LC!