What is Dumortierite?
Due to its hardness, 7-8.5, dumortierite (doo-MOHR-tir-ite) is used not only in industry, but also as an ornamental stone, for countertops, and in jewelry. Dumortierite is great for cabochons since it has beautiful fibrous inclusions within the crystal and a vitreous translucent luster. Because of the fibers contained within the stone, it is very durable and can be difficult to facet, though some of the finer-grained specimens will take a facet and have been used for beautiful carvings.
Dumortierite is also fairly rare and often mistaken for lapis or sodalite due to the vivid blue color of the stone. One way to tell dumortierite from sodalite or lapis is that sodalite has calcite distributed throughout the stone, and lapis is interspersed with pyrite. Dumortierite doesn't have these white or gold-metallic flecks. Lapis is also a brighter blue color, where blue dumortierite is more a deep denim and is fibrous. Now to really throw you a curve... there is also dumortierite that is purple similar to lepidolite, but again is fibrous with no mica flecks and cannot be scratched with a knife.