Labradorite

Labradorite remains my favorite stone on Earth. It never fails to surprise me with its flashes of dancing light. It also has a fascinating story behind it…

Legend: According to an Eskimo legend, the Northern Lights were once imprisoned in the rocks along the coast of Labrador, where a wandering Eskimo warrior found them and freed most of the lights with a mighty blow of his spear. However, some of the lights were still trapped within the stone, leaving us today the beautiful mineral known as labradorite.

Gemology Facts: Labradorite is a feldspar mineral found mainly in Labrador, Canada, and is the only species of gem that can claim sole possession of an entire optical phenomenon, called "labradorescence", or "schiller" iridescence. Only labradorite gems show this distinctive surface display of one or more intense metallic looking spectral colors, which range from the typical blues and violets through greens, yellows and oranges. Some rare specimens display all these colors simultaneously.

The color display is from lamellar intergrowths inside the crystal. These intergrowths result from compatible chemistries at high temperatures becoming incompatible at lower temperatures and thus a separating
and layering of these two phases.

Labradorite Jewelry
Labradorite Jewelry

The resulting color effect is caused by a ray of light entering a layer and being refracted back and forth by deeper layers. This refracted ray is slowed by the extra travel through the layers and mixes with other rays to produce a light ray coming out that has a different wavelength than when it went in.

Misconceptions: People are often surprised to learn that some of their favorite stones are types of labradorite, or contain labradorite within other stones:

  • What many people know as rainbow moonstone is actually a white labradorite
  • True moonstone is actually a silicate that derives its flashes of color from inclusions of different feldspars, including labradorite
  • Spectrolite is actually a particularly colorful variety of labradorite from Scandinavia
  • Oregon sunstone is a type of labradorite
Metapysical Properties: labradorite jewelry is used for is courage and clarity, and to help relieve mental confusion and indecision. This stone is also about transformation on all levels (and is especially powerful for those who fear change), as it allows clarity to come into our lives not only when we need it, but helps us to understand ourselves on a deeper level at all times of our lives. Labradorite jewelry is also said to builds and strengthens the immune system, to help treat eye and brain diseases, and to help balance metabolism and the digestive process.