Sodalite - the other opaque blue gemstone

Sodalite can be made into beads, carved beads, gemstone carvings, and art objects. Sodalites can simulate other blue gems, such as lapis lazuli. Since lapis lazuli is a better known material, it’s more likely you’ll encounter sodalites offered as lapis gems. Surprisingly, many of the same blue minerals are found in both Lapis and Sodalite. Both sodalite and lapis can have inclusions of  white calcite, but you can distinguish them by sodalite’s lack of silver colored pyrite inclusions.