Sugilite

Sugilite (also known as luvulite or lavulite) is a relatively rare mineral that is pink to purple in color. Sugilite was first described in 1944 by Japanese petrologist Ken-ichi Sugi, who discovered its occurrence on Iwagi Island in Japan. It was also found on Mont Saint-Hilaire in the Canadian province of Quebec, in Liguria and Tuscany in Italy, in New South Wales in Australia or in Madhya Pradesh in India.

At the Wessels mine in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, sugilite is mined from a manganese deposit. It is sugilites from South Africa that have an intense, vivid purple color and are used in jewelry.