Charoite

Charoite is a rare silicate mineral, first described in 1978. It believed to named after the Chara River, but due to the river being 70 km away from its discovery place, now it believed to named after the Russian word chary, meaning magic or charms. When it discovered, thought it was a fake, dyed purple to give it its striking appearance.

Charoite is translucent lavender to purple in color with a pearly luster. Charoite is strictly massive in nature, and fractures are conchoidal. It has an unusual swirling, fibrous appearance, sometimes chatoyant. That, along with its intense color, can lead many to believe at first that it is synthetic or enhanced artificially. Though reportedly discovered in the 1940s, it not known to most of the world until its description in 1978.