Astounding, precious, and rare are the words that define Sodalite surfaces. They have emerged as a symbol of luxury and exclusivity. This stone is ideal for those who love to explore beyond the boundaries and are not restricted by conventional limits.
What Is Sodalite?
It is a rich blue mineral found in igneous rocks. This exclusive stone contains sodium, aluminum, lazurite, chlorine, and other minerals. Lazurite contributes to its loud and proud blue color through charge transfer between sulfur atoms. While this natural stone is used as a gemstone for healing purposes, it makes a great surface for creating arresting feature walls, flooring, counters, and custom furniture.
Where Is Sodalite Found?
Sodalite rocks are not abundant in nature. Very few quarries all over the world produce this natural enigma. Bolivia, Africa, and Brazil are the countries where its deposits are quarriable. Whether incorporated into residential or commercial spaces, this blue beauty brings an undeniable richness to the environment.
What Are the Three Types of Sodalite Commonly Used in Interior Design?
The Brazilian, African, and Bolivian varieties are popular choices for design projects, and you can find all these stunning options under one roof at Ultra Stone. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
Brazilian Sodalite
Brazilian Sodalite is the most premium and exclusive among all three varieties available in the market. Valuable as an antique, it is a perfect choice for adding an exceptional touch to your interiors.
Quarried in the Bahia region of Brazil, this natural beauty boasts a uniform royal blue surface embellished with beige veins and white streaks that paint a picture of icebergs in a deep blue ocean. Its unavoidable aesthetic appeal draws everyone’s attention. Thus, this rare semi-precious can be transformed into mesmerizing accent walls, countertops, or bathtubs to highlight important areas in your interiors.
The uniformity of color and minimal veining or intrusions determine the purity of natural sodalite stone. Thus, Ultra Stone’s Royal Blue Sodalite has become the favorite choice of architects and interior designers for their luxury projects. Define your style with this precious stone.
African Sodalite
Sourced from Namibia, African Sodalite is characterized by a deeper shade of blue. It offers more pattern variations than the Brazilian one. The deep navy blue surface exhibits a striking blend of striking white patterns of calcite mottled with black and orange mineral intrusions.
Calcite patches on the surface create a visually striking contrast against the saturated blue. Ultra Stone’s African Sodalite is ideal for designs where color takes center stage. From a statement-making kitchen to a dynamic showroom, it brings captivating visual interest to any space.
Bolivian Sodalite
Bolivian Sodalite is primarily quarried in the Potosi region of Bolivia, which produces a unique range of blue stones.
This variety showcases a stunning mix of light and dark blue hues—a unique feature not found in the other two varieties. Additionally, some slabs reveal subtle gray or purple undertones.
In contrast to the African variety, its patches and veins appear slightly muddied, adding an alluring interplay of deep and subdued hues. While it is not the purest kind available in nature, its heavy patterns can add an artistic flair to any flat and humble setting. This exquisite stone can effortlessly replace the need for artwork in your space—a true masterpiece of nature that you will never regret owning.
How Durable Is Sodalite?
Moderately durable. It ranks 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Though sodalite surfaces are not as strong as granite or quartzite, they can withstand general wear and minor scratches. Therefore, they are suitable for decorative and ornamental applications in interiors. With a certain amount of porosity, this natural stone is prone to staining. Timely sealing and routine cleaning are necessary to preserve its brilliant appearance for many years.
What Drives the High Cost of Sodalite?
While sodalite is regarded as a valuable and high-priced material, it is available across a range of prices. The Brazilian variety is more expensive than the other two because of its premium quality and rarity. Several factors determine the price of the slabs. First is its limited availability sodalite deposits are scarce worldwide. Its rich and distinctive appearance cannot be matched by any other stone, making it a luxury choice.
Moreover, some of its quarries are located in hard-to-reach places, and extracting high-quality blocks suitable for slabs is labor-intensive and costly. The nuances of quarrying this stone add to its production cost, making it a highly prized material to incorporate into interiors.
Explore other semi-precious and natural stones in Ultra Stones’ live inventory or visit showrooms in New York and Pennsylvania for an exclusive experience.
