Meet the crystal
About Labradorite
Labradorite is a member of the plagioclase feldspar family and is best known for the extraordinary optical effect called labradorescence. A specimen may initially appear grey, charcoal, brownish or almost black, yet when viewed from the correct angle it can reveal brilliant flashes of blue, green, gold, yellow, orange and sometimes violet.
The effect is not a coating or colour sitting on the surface of the stone. It originates from microscopic structures within the feldspar that interact with light, producing the shifting display for which Labradorite is famous.
The mineral takes its name from Labrador in Canada, where striking material became known to European mineralogists during the eighteenth century. Labradorite is now found in several parts of the world, with notable material coming from Canada, Madagascar, Finland and other geological localities.
Its combination of comparatively understated body colour and dramatic internal flashes makes Labradorite particularly popular with mineral collectors, lapidaries and jewellery makers.
