History

(Gr. iodes: violet) Discovered by Courtois in 1811, Iodine, a halogen, occurs sparingly in the form of iodides in sea water from which it is assimilated by seaweeds, Chilean saltpeter, nitrate-bearing earth (known as caliche), brines from old sea deposits, and in brackish waters from oil and salt wells.

Sources

Ultrapure iodine can be obtained from the reaction of potassium iodide with copper sulfate. Several other methods of isolating the element are known.

Properties

Iodine is a bluish-black, lustrous solid, volatizing at ordinary temperatures into a blue-violet gas with an irritating odor; it forms compounds with many elements, but is less active than the other halogens, which displace it from iodides. Iodine exhibits some metallic-like properties. It dissolves readily in chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, or carbon disulfide to form beautiful purple solutions. It is only slightly soluble in water. 
A Periodic Table of the Elements at Los Alamos National Laboratory