Some stones look very similar to each other, and if you are not an expert in crystals and stones, you might have a hard time telling them apart.
For example, purple sapphire looks very similar to rhodolite garnet. So, if you were looking to get the former, you might end up getting the latter.
Some other examples of look-alike pairs are aquamarine and blue topaz, tanzanite and iolite, peridot, and idocrase.
But perhaps the pair that causes the most confusion is sodalite and lapis lazuli.
In this article, I am going to talk about how to tell the difference between lapis lazuli and sodalite.
These differences will help you make the right choice whenever you’re looking to get one or the other.
Sodalite Vs Lapis Lazuli
Sodalite and lapis lazuli are both blue-coloured stones with vein-like patterns.
As such, they look very similar, and it’s quite hard to tell them apart on the basis of appearance alone.
However, there are critical differences in the way they are made and function. Let’s explore more on how to tell the difference between lapis lazuli and sodalite.
Mineral Composition
Lapis lazuli is basically a collection of three other minerals – calcite, lazurite and pyrite.
Sodalite, on the other hand, is a silicate mineral that is made up of elements such as sodium, potassium, and calcium.
Appearance
Undeniably, both stones are adorned with captivating blue colours.
However, lapis lazuli can be found in various shades of blue, but sodalite generally has a slightly lighter shade of blue.
The biggest differentiator in terms of appearance is the specks of gold found in lapis lazuli.
These gold specks are pyrite inclusions that are not present in sodalite.
Instead, sodalite has white streaks running along the surface that are a result of the calcite content.
However, some lapis lazuli stones (especially in their raw form) may lack the pyrite inclusions.
So, in these cases, it can be hard to tell them apart from sodalite in terms of looks alone.
Hardness
Hardness is defined as the ability of a material to resist deformation. And it is an important factor when evaluating stones and crystals.
Sodalite has a hardness of 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale.
But since lapis lazuli is made up of three other minerals, its hardness may not be uniform.
So, on the Mohs scale, it is given a hardness between 3 to 6.5.
History
Historically speaking, lapis lazuli is a much older stone than sodalite.
Its origin dates back to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.
In fact, Lapis lazuli artifacts have been found in Bhirrana (the oldest site of the Indus Valley civilization), and they have been dated to 7,570 BC.
In ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt, this stone was considered highly precious because of its divine colour and rarity.
Today, this stone is mostly found in Afghanistan. Other places that have small deposits of lapis lazuli are Chile, Siberia, the United States, and Myanmar.
Sodalite, on the other hand, was discovered in west Greenland in 1811.
Since then, it has been discovered in Namibia, Canada, the United States, and some parts of South America.
Ruling Planet
In astrology, a ruling planet is one that has the most influence over a zodiac sign, chakra, or crystal.
The ruling planet of lapis lazuli is Jupiter, which is said to be the messenger of God.
So, it is often considered one of the best stones for the manifestation of desires using chants, affirmations, and meditation.
The ruling planet of sodalite is the moon.
As you may know, the moon represents feminine energies, fertility, beauty, and love.
So, if these are the qualities that you are naturally drawn to or seek in your life, you can use this stone in your spiritual practices.
The different ruling planets of stones bestow different metaphysical energies on them.
Price
Based on the history of lapis lazuli, it is obvious that it is the more expensive stone.
This is why many people sell sodalite as lapis lazuli to make higher profits.
It can be difficult to get accurate values of these stones but you can get a good estimate by using Rock Chasing’s guide to figuring out how much crystals are worth.
Follow along with their instructions and you can get a pretty good general idea of what you’re working with.
If you need a more accurate number it’s usually a good idea to get a professional appraisal.
Metaphysical Properties
Lapis lazuli and sodalite share a lot of metaphysical properties since both of these stones work on the throat and third eye chakras.
However, there are some differences in terms of their spiritual influence.
Lapis lazuli is said to protect the user from negative energies, psychic attacks, and evil spirits.
Whereas sodalite is said to help the user achieve a calmer and more peaceful state of mind.
Lapis lazuli enhances intuition, self-awareness, wisdom, and inner truth.
And sodalite helps improve self-esteem and self-acceptance.
Lapis Lazuli purifies blood, lowers blood pressure, improves your respiratory system, boosts your nervous system, cleanses the organs, and has a cooling effect on areas of inflammation.
Sodalite balances metabolism in the body, boosts the immune system, combats radiation damage, and alleviates calcium deficiencies.
Lapis lazuli is also a great stone to fix issues like insomnia, vertigo, and depression.
And sodalite is great at calming panic attacks and bringing order to a chaotic mind.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a lot of similarities and differences between lapis lazuli and sodalite.
If you want to get either of the stones, you should know what makes them similar and how they differ.
Establishing lapis lazuli vs sodalite and understanding their differences isn’t easy, but thankfully, there are many telltale signs that you can use to ascertain whether a particular stone is lapis lazuli or sodalite.
If it has gold flecks, you can rest assured it is lapis lazuli.
And if it doesn’t have gold flecks or veins, you might need to do a little more digging.
For instance, you can check its hardness on the Moh’s scale.
Crystals and stones play a critical role in our lives. Often, you get a crystal to help you with a particular problem or aspect of your life.
So, you should make sure that you don’t get the wrong stone for yourself.
And, you don’t want to pay over the odds for the wrong stone either. It’s very common for people to sell sodalite as lapis lazuli.
Learning how to tell the difference between lapis lazuli and sodalite is very important if you want to purchase either of these stones and I hope this article has helped you.
I started Spirit of Sapphire in August 2017 after finally building up the courage to start reading tarot for people other than my loved ones.
At the same time, I embarked upon expanding my spiritual knowledge and skills and so attended various psychic mediumship courses and circles, and I also began to train as a Reiki practitioner.
I’ve designed this site to be a hub of spiritual knowledge. As I learn new things, I want to share them with you.
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