Sugilite ( ) is a relatively rare pink to purple cyclosilicate mineral with the complex chemical formula KNa<sub>2</sub>(Fe, Mn, Al)<sub>2</sub>Li<sub>3</sub>Si<sub>12</sub>O<sub>30</sub>. Sugilite crystallizes in the hexagonal system with prismatic crystals. The crystals are rarely found and the form is usually massive. It has a Mohs hardness of 5.5âÂÂ6.5 and a specific gravity of 2.75âÂÂ2.80. It is mostly translucent. Sugilite was first described in 1944 by the Japanese petrologist Ken-ichi Sugi (1901–1948) for an occurrence on Iwagi Islet, Japan, where it is found in an aegirine syenite intrusive stock. It is found in a similar environment at Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. In the Wessels mine in Northern Cape Province of South Africa, sugilite is mined from a strata-bound manganese deposit. It is also reported from Liguria and Tuscany, Italy; New South Wales, Australia and Madhya Pradesh, India.
Sugilite is commonly pronounced with a soft "g", as in "ginger". However, as with most minerals, its pronunciation is intended to be the same as the person it is named after; in this case, the Japanese name Sugi has a hard "g", as in "geese".
The mineral is also referred to as lavulite, luvulite, and royal azel by gem and mineral collectors.
In Japan, sugilite is found as yellowish-white to colourless, and is not good for jewellery.