Blue is the Hue Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iolite

This hard gemstone is produced from the mineral Cordierite. The gem's name comes from the Greek word "ios," which means violet. Iolite is a type of gemstone whose colors appear to change depending on the angle at which it is viewed. This type of optical phenomenon is known as pleochroism. Iolite is sometimes referred to as "water sapphire," although it is not related to sapphire.

It has more to do with the blue-violet color of the gem.

Answer: Lapis lazuli

Lapis is made up of mostly lazurite, a blue mineral. It also contains pyrite, calcite, and some sodalite. Mines in Afghanistan were a source of this gem in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and still are today. In fact the name for this gemstone comes from the Arabic word "lazaward" which means "heaven" or "sky."

Answer: Aquamarine

Aquamarine is a variety of beryl. Its name means "sea water." In ancient times, wearing aquamarine amulets depicting Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, was thought to protect sailors against harm. Most aquamarine comes from Brazil. Other sources include Pakistan, Nigeria, Tanzania and the United States, specifically Mt. Antero in Colorado.

Answer: Blue sapphire

Sapphire comes from corundum, an extremely hard mineral, second only in hardness to the diamond. Before the 19th century, the term "sapphire" applied only to the blue shade. In ancient Egypt and during the Middle Ages, the blue sapphire was thought to cure eye diseases as well as offer protection against the evil eye. Australia, Thailand, Madagascar, and the U.S. are known sources for this gem.

Answer: Benitoite

The story goes as follows: a prospector near the San Benito River was looking for mercury and copper when he came upon some blue crystals he mistook for sapphires. What he found, of course, was benitoite, named for the San Benito River. The gem itself comes from a rare barium titanium silicate. It can also be found in smaller amounts in Arkansas as well as Japan.

Answer: Blue Amber

This particular type of amber comes from an extinct species of tree, Hymenaea Protera, which dates back millions of years. The blue color comes from hydro carbons which turn UV rays from the sun into blue light particles.

Answer: Turquoise

Because it is soft and easy to work with, turquoise was one of the first gemstones to be mined. Discovered around 5000 BCE in Mesopotamia (Iran), not all turquoise has a greenish tint. It can appear in varying shades of blue depending on cosmetics and skin oils.

Although the best quality gemstones come from Iran, much of the turquoise in production today comes from copper mines in the southwestern region of the U.S.

Answer: Kyanite

Like iolite, kyanite is pleochroic, appearing blue, blue-violet, or even colorless when viewed from different angles. Due to its fibrous nature, this stone tends to break easily along its length, making cutting more difficult. Kyanite is found in mica schists and gneiss,a metamorphic rock.

Answer: Tanzanite

Heat is the secret to obtaining the stunning shade of blue. In its rough state, tanzanite is reddish-brown in color. The scientific name for this gem is blue zoisite. Zoisite can be found in metamorphic rocks such as schist and gneiss and in quartz veins.

Answer: Apatite

Apatite comes in a variety of colors, blue being one of the most beautiful. Gem-quality apatite is usually recovered from pegmatites, igneous rocks with large crystals. By the way, the Greek work for deceit is "apate," thus the name of the gem.