Sugilite?

Q: I recently acquired a very nice piece of 'sugilite' (I think it's pronounced SOO-Jill-ite). Forgive me if the spelling is incorrect - can anyone tell me anything about this stone? I can't find it in my field guides, which, admittedly, are not extensive. It's a royal purple lustrous stone, very pretty. I've only seen one other like it. Does it require any special treatment or care? I plan to wrap it or set it in silver, but I'm not sure yet.

A: Although I'm not a hugely knowledgable person, I remember that 'sugilite' is soft and scratches easily, so put it in jewelry that won't be harshly used. Hmm...lemme get a book... Well, I can't find the book I want, but I did find one that says it is of "acceptable hardness", being from 6.5 to 7.5. It's originally named after "Sugi San" who found some micro crystals of the material in Japan, so this should give some indication as to correct pronunciation. The material you have is from South Africa. Treat it the same as any 'Quartz'/'Silica' material with hardness of about 7. It takes a very good polish.

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