Sugilite occurs in only a few locations worldwide. Production of gem-quality sugilite only occurs in noteworthy amounts from the stratiform manganese deposits in South Africa. Sugilite is also found in small amounts as a primary mineral in igneous rocks and as a secondary mineral in marble.

Manganese deposits similar to those of South Africa exist in other countries (India, Brazil, Ghana, and Russia), but none of these deposits are known to be commercial producers of sugilite.

Sugilite was first discovered in 1944 in a small stock on Iwagi Islet, Southwest Japan by Japanese geologists Ken-ichi Sugi and M. Kutsuna. They did not identify the mineral, but described it as an eudialyte-like mineral based upon its optical properties.

At the Iwagi Islet locality, sugilite occurred in an aegirine syenite, and accounted for 3% to 8% of the rock’s volume.

In 1976, Nobuhide Murakami and others published the first detailed description of the mineral’s chemistry and structure. They posthumously named the mineral “sugilite” to honor to Ken-ichi Sugi (1901-1948).

Today most sugilite entering the market as gem rough or mineral specimens is from a few mines in the Kalahari Manganese Field, North Cape Province, South Africa. Gem material from the Wessels Mine has been marketed under various names that include Lavulite and Royal Azel.

Sugilite is also found near Mont St. Hilaire, Canada; Faggiona, Italy; New South Wales, Australia; and, the Madhya Pradesh state of central India.