Iolite is a blue-violet magnesium aluminum silicate mineral and has a Mohs hardness of 7-7.5. It is a variety of the mineral cordierite. This mineral was named after French geologist Cordier. The name iolite comes from ios, the Greek word for violet.Often referred to as "water sapphires", Iolite can resemble the watery blue hues of sapphires but the two are not related. Fine Iolites can be found in Sri Lanka, India, and Madagascar. Iolite is said to help dissolve the fears of the unknown and aid in envisioning solutions to emotional problems.