Thulite is a natural pink zoisite from Norway, colored by a little manganese. It is the national stone of Norway and is named for the legendary land of Thule. We do not carry it.
Calcium aluminum sorosilicate (zoisite group) · Zoisite
Thulite
Thulita
- Palette
- Pink
- Mined in
- Norway, Austria, Namibia, United States, New Zealand
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–6.5 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1820
- Named for
- the legendary island of Thule, taken to be Scandinavia
- Also sold as
- rosaline, pink zoisite
- Intention
- Love Abundance
- Looking for
- Love Self-love Compassion and empathy Joy
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Thulite is natural pink zoisite, and we found no bead-trade statement about dye or heat. Ask the seller about a specific strand.
Not in our pieces now
1797
Sigmund Zois recognized zoisite, thulite's parent mineral, as something new in 1797 when a dealer brought him a specimen.
SAUALPITE
Zoisite was first called saualpite, after Saualpe in Austria's Carinthia, where Zois's specimens came from.
585 MILLION YEARS
Tanzanite, the blue form of thulite's parent mineral zoisite, formed about 585 million years ago in the area that later became Mount Kilimanjaro.
What it is
A pink to rose-red variety of zoisite colored by a little manganese, usually solid and fine-grained with white or gray patches and sometimes green veining. It is natural and takes a good polish, and it is mostly cut as cabochons, beads and small carvings.
What gives it its color
Thulite is the pink variety of zoisite, and its pink comes from manganese.
Where it comes from
Thulite was first found in Norway, which remains its classic source; it also occurs in Canada, at the Jeffrey Mine in Quebec and in British Columbia.
In history
Thulite, the pink variety of zoisite, was first found in 1820 at Sauland in Telemark, Norway. Its parent mineral zoisite was named in 1805 for the Carniolan naturalist Sigmund Zois, who had sent specimens from Saualpe in Carinthia.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, thulite is a stone of the heart. People keep it for love, for kindness toward themselves and others, and for joy and creative work.
It is usually worn as a bead or cabochon on the wrist or near the heart, or kept in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, near the heart, or in a pocket.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, thulite is paired with the heart chakra, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, near the heart, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want love, self-love, compassion and empathy, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacGemini, Taurus
ElementWater
Also calledrosaline, pink zoisite
Care
- Hard enough for jewelry but it can still scratch against harder stones: keep it in a soft pouch apart from them.
- Clean with a soft cloth, or mild soap and lukewarm water, then pat dry.
- Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners, harsh chemicals and perfume.
- Take it off before heavy work or a knock.
How to tell what you have
- Real thulite is pink to rose-red, fine-grained and mottled with white or gray, and fairly hard (about 6.5 on the Mohs scale).
- A strand of flat, even, candy-pink beads with no white mottling may be dyed stone; check the drill hole and cracks.
What sets the price
The price follows how deep and even the pink-to-red color is against the white mottling, and the bead size and polish; thulite is described as an economical stone.
Questions people ask at our table
What is thulite?
A pink variety of zoisite, colored by a little manganese in the crystal structure. It is a natural mineral, not dyed.
Is it the same as tanzanite?
They are close relatives, both zoisite, but tanzanite is the blue-violet gem variety and thulite is the pink, opaque-to-translucent one.
Why is it named thulite?
For Thule, a legendary northern land once taken to mean Scandinavia. It was first found in Norway.
Where does it come from?
Norway is the classic source. Smaller finds come from Austria, Namibia, New Zealand and the United States.
How hard is it?
About 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, so it is fine for beads and cabochons but can scratch against harder stones.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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