DigMyGem Gem encyclopedia

Labradorite

Feldspar Family

Labradorite is a calcium-rich member of the plagioclase feldspar series. Some specimens display labradorescence, a shifting blue, green, yellow, or orange play of colour produced when light interacts with microscopic intergrowths inside the crystal.

Identity

Material or variety
Plagioclase feldspar
Scientific or material identity
Feldspar
Classification
Natural mineral or mineral variety
Composition or formula
(K,Na,Ca)(Al,Si)₄O₈
Crystal system or structure
Variable
Geological or manufacturing origin
Forms in igneous rock or volcanic material.
Mohs hardness
6 to 6.5
Specific gravity
2.55 to 2.76

Origins

Australia · Canada · Finland · Madagascar · USA

Appearance & optical properties

dark gray feldspar with vivid blue-green iridescent flash.

History & discovery

The mineral was named for Labrador, Canada, where it was first described from material collected on Paul Island. A particularly vivid Finnish variety discovered near Ylämaa during the Second World War was later named spectrolite.

Uses & care

Common uses
Material with a strong colour flash is cut into cabochons, beads, and decorative objects; clear pieces may be faceted, and unpolished crystals are collected as mineral specimens.

Jewellery

5 pieces of Labradorite jewellery. Learners earn each one in DigMyGem by learning words; until then it shows as a silhouette.

  • Silhouette of Aurora Shield Ring

    Aurora Shield Ring

    Ring

    A shield-cut labradorite flashes green, gold and blue across a dark gunmetal band, like a trapped aurora.

  • Silhouette of Stormlight Tiara

    Stormlight Tiara

    Tiara

    Tall labradorite shards rise from a blackened silver frame, throwing colour with every tilt of the head.

  • Silhouette of Northern Lights Necklace

    Northern Lights Necklace

    Necklace

    Graduated labradorite beads run dark to bright, so the whole necklace shifts colour as it moves.

  • Silhouette of Spectrolite Collar

    Spectrolite Collar

    Necklace

    An imagined collar of spectrolite, the Finnish labradorite whose dark stone flashes blue, green and gold like the northern lights.

  • Silhouette of Aurora Sceptre

    Aurora Sceptre

    Sceptre

    An imagined sceptre crowned with an orb of labradorite that flashes blue and green like the northern lights.

Sources