sodalite

American  

[sohd-l-ahyt] / ˈsoʊd lˌaɪt /

noun

1. a mineral, sodium aluminum silicate, Na 4 Al 3 Si 3 O 1 2 Cl, occurring massive and in crystals, usually blue in color and found in certain alkali-rich igneous rocks.

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sodalite British  

/ ˈsəʊdəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a blue, grey, yellow, or colourless mineral consisting of sodium aluminium silicate and sodium chloride in cubic crystalline form. It occurs in basic igneous rocks. Formula: Na 4 Al 3 Si 3 O 12 Cl

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Etymology

Origin of sodalite

First recorded in 1800–10; soda + -lite

Example Sentences

Rarely used in jewelry, the dark navy of sodalite adds an unexpected layer of depth to Color Blossom’s existing luminous gemstone lineup.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Taylor Swift’s sky may be opalite, but the starry blue hues in the new jewels of Louis Vuitton’s Color Blossom collection belong to sodalite.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Blue sodalite for peace, pink calcite for love and tangerine quartz “for life energy to wish them well into the next life,” said Grayson’s father, Jeff, 59.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2019

The minerals ha�yne, nosean, sodalite and melilite tend to occur with some frequency in nepheline and leucite-basalts, though rare in ordinary basalts.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" by Various

Section of sodalite crystal from the lava of 1794, with belonites and crystals of magnetite enclosed.

From Volcanoes: Past and Present by Hull, Edward