Iolite gets its name from the violet, a flower whose name is “ios” in Greek. This stone evokes the Scandinavia of the Vikings. Strips of Iolite were used as a navigation tool, which made their far-off explorations possible. Iolite is a pleochroic gemstone. Also referred to as Dichroite it exhibits intense violetish blue, purplish blue, light blue and yellow grey colors when viewed from different angles.