Where This Rock Is From (place, type of locality, etc.) The
parent of one of my students works at a business that makes
"granite" countertops and vanities. When the student found out
about my interest in rocks, he brought me a bucket full of cut
leftovers from the workshop. This rock caught my eye because of
the unusual color and texture. What This Rock Is This rock is a
medium grained sodalite syenite. It is almost entirely composed
of alkali feldspar (white and occasionally pink) and sodalite
(bright blue). It contains no quartz but may have small amounts
of hornblende, pyroxene, and biotite. Other names for this rock
are foyaite and foid syenite. These rocks are rare and occur in
small igneous intrusions. This particular variety comes from
Bahia, Brazil and is nicknamed AZUL BAHIA in the trade. Besides
decorative uses, this rock is mined for the sodalite which is
used in manufacturing ceramics. What I Like About This Rock The
bright blue crystals of sodalite blew me away! When I first saw
this piece, I tho