The Northern Lights Aren’t the Only Colorful, Mysterious Thing in Norway

I TAKE MY NAME from the ancient Greek for those frigid lands beyond the northern frontiers of what was then the known world. To extend the metaphor, it’s not unfair to say I continue to live on the fringes, although of the jewelry world. Despite being the national stone of Norway, where I was first found, my frequent impurities and mottled red/white appearance mean I’m typically cut into cabochons for use in pendants and big rings. To look at me, few would immediately recognize me as the zoisite brother of Tanzanite.

Who am I?