Labradorite Gem Stones

Labradorite can produce a colorful play of light across cleavage planes and in sliced sections called labradorescence. The usually intense colors range from the typical blues and violets through greens, yellows and oranges. Some rare specimens, like these, display all these colors simultaneously.

Labradorite has been known for hundreds of years.
It was very popular in the 18th century were it was frequently use in European jewelry.
In the 1700's it was common to create "motto" Jewelry. The first letters each gem in the piece of jewelry formed a motto or expressed a sentiment. Labradorite was often used as the "L" in mottos like "Good Luck."

Answering the question "What is red labradorite?" is not as easy as it sounds.

Is it a Feldspar? Yes, it is in the Feldspar family of gems.

What kind of Feldspar? Well that is were in gets a little tricky.

It is some times called Labradorite, Andesine, and Sunstone.

The problem is these gems come from all over the planet and have slightly different chemical compositions.

Red Feldspar blurs the line between Andesine and Labradorite. Depending on its chemical make-up these gems can fall slightly on one side or the other.

Now to confuse the issue even more, these gems look more like Oregon Sunstones then Labradorite from North America. Sunstone is also a member of the Feldspar group.

Technically a Sunstone is a colorless to red/orange Labradorite with copper and schiller inclusions.

That being said: Most gems being sold as "Red Labradorite" are most likely red/orange gems that fall in within the chemical definition of Labradorite.

Now true Red Andesine from the Congo is very rare and can command up to $1,700 a carat. But Red Labradorite is more common and can be purchased for $95.00 to $300.00 per carat depending on color and clarity.


Typical Labradorite gem

Oregon Sunstones with schiller effect

Color is gray to smoky black.
Luster is dull to vitreous.
Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
Crystal Habits include blocky crystals that rarely form free of the host rock and therefore do not usually show their full crystal forms. In sliced sections of rock, the labradorite appears as blocky chunks with a predominance of near right angled corners. Twinning is common and pervasive so that in labradorite it produces a layered or stacked effect. The twin layers are typically only fractions of millimeters to several millimeters thick. Crystals of labradorite are found imbedded in gabbros and other mafic igneous rocks of low silica content. In anorthosites, labradorite is a main constituent.
Cleavage is perfect in one and good in another direction forming nearly right angled prisms.
Fractureis conchoidal.
Hardness is 6 - 6.5.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.70 - 2.74 (average)
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals are biotite, pyroxene and hornblende.
Other Characteristics: index of refraction is 1.55 - 1.75. Play of colors called labradorescence seen from certain directions can cause flashes of blue, violet and green and sometimes orange and yellow.
Notable Occurrences include Labrador, Canada and Scandinavian Pennisula.
Best Field Indicators are occurence, twinning striations and labradorescence

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