View allAll Photos Tagged Labradorite
This specimen of labradorite exhibits a schiller effect, which is a strong play of iridescent blue and green. Labradorite is so well known for these spectacular displays of colour that the phenomenon is known as “labradorescence.” Specimens with the highest quality labradorescence are often selected for use as gemstones. Labradorescence is not a display of colors reflected from the surface of a specimen. Instead, light enters the stone, strikes a twinning surface within the stone, and reflects from it. The colour seen by the observer is the color of light reflected from that twinning surface. Different twinning surfaces within the stone reflect different colours of light. Light reflecting from different twinning surfaces in various parts of the stone can give the stone a multi-colored appearance.
From the Canadian Museun of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario.
choker/necklace with lovely blue fire labradorite and fire polished AB beads. by proteanjewelry on etsy.
Cleavage plane striations on plagioclase feldspar from the Precambrian of Canada.
A mineral is a naturally-occurring, solid, inorganic, crystalline substance having a fairly definite chemical composition and having fairly definite physical properties. At its simplest, a mineral is a naturally-occurring solid chemical. Currently, there are over 5800 named and described minerals - about 200 of them are common and about 20 of them are very common. Mineral classification is based on anion chemistry. Major categories of minerals are: elements, sulfides, oxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, and silicates.
The silicates are the most abundant and chemically complex group of minerals. All silicates have silica as the basis for their chemistry. "Silica" refers to SiO2 chemistry. The fundamental molecular unit of silica is one small silicon atom surrounded by four large oxygen atoms in the shape of a triangular pyramid - this is the silica tetrahedron - SiO4. Each oxygen atom is shared by two silicon atoms, so only half of the four oxygens "belong" to each silicon. The resulting formula for silica is thus SiO2, not SiO4.
The simplest & most abundant silicate mineral in the Earth's crust is quartz (SiO2). All other silicates have silica + impurities. Many silicates have a significant percentage of aluminum (the aluminosilicates).
Feldspar is a group of common silicate minerals. Feldspars are silicate minerals having one-fourth of all the silicons in SiO2 replaced by aluminum (Si4O8 to (Si3Al)O8). When this happens, the (Si3Al)O8 has a -1 electric charge. The charge is satisfied by the addition of one or more metals. The (Si3Al)O8- structure has relatively large holes, and the only metals that tend to stay in these holes are: K (potassium), Na (sodium), Ca (calcium), Cs (cesium), Ba (barium), Sr (strontium), and Pb (lead). Of these, K & Na & Ca are the most common metals that enter the matrix. Sometimes, several different metals enter the structure, resulting in "garbage can minerals".
Chemical analyses of feldspars show that they range in composition from K-feldspar to Na-feldspar and from Na-feldspar to Ca-feldspar. Mineralogists have thus established two "families" of feldspars. There is no chemical gradient between K-feldspar and Ca-feldspar.
The sodium- to calcium-feldspars are called plagioclase ("plag" for short). Six different mineral names are available for the plagioclase feldspars: albite, oligoclase, andesine, labradorite, bytownite, and anorthite. Albite is ~pure sodium feldspar (NaAlSi3O8) and anorthite is ~pure calcium feldspar (CaAl2Si2O8). The other mentioned minerals are plagioclase feldspars having a mix of sodium and calcium. The pure end-members are whitish-colored. The plagioclase feldspars having a mix of sodium and calcium tend to be light gray to dark gray to mottled gray. Some have a spectacular play of color.
Plagioclase has a nonmetallic luster, a white to light gray to dark color, a white streak, a hardness of 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, and breaks along two cleavage planes meeting at 90 degrees. Cleavage planes often show striations (= very thin, straight, parallel grooves).
Seen here is a piece of labradorite plagioclase feldspar from the Nain Anorthosite in eastern Canada. Anorthosites are uncommon intrusive igneous rocks almost exclusively composed of plagioclase feldspar. There’s usually a blackish pyroxene component as well. Some famous anorthosite occurrences include Wyoming's Laramie Range, New York State's Adirondacks Mountains, and the Moon.
This specimen is from Labrador, the type area for labradorite.
Geologic unit: Nain Anorthosite (Nain Plutonic Suite), mid-Mesoproterozoic, 1.29 to 1.35 Ga
Locality: unrecorded site at or near the town of Nain (possibly a quarry), coastal Labrador, eastern Canada
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Photo gallery of labradorite:
A luscious faceted Blue Fire Labradorite Rondelle bead is the focal gem of this lovely artisan wirework ring with its brilliant iridescent flashes of blues and greens. Complimenting it is a gorgeous faceted deep red Garnet bead and several Hessonite Garnet beads that subtly graduate in color from rich deep red to light golden honey. These are wrapped with sterling silver wire completely around a handcrafted sterling silver spiral ring frame. The ring was then lightly oxidized and polished to give a subtle patina to the silver and add contrast to the wirework.
My Etsy shop: www.mossandmist.etsy.com
Labradorite and Butterfly.
Each insect corresponds to the mineral (and vice versa).
"Flying jewels", seen in the Terra mineralia, Freiberg, Germany.
An unique handcrafted spiral Sterling Silver looped frame showcases perfectly a gorgeous, big LUXE Extreme Blue Fire Labradorite Focal Briolette with its vibrant iridescent flashes of blue and green. Pairing alongside it are two 'AA Peridot, two 'AA Garnet briolettes and two 'AA' Citrine gemstone beads. These have been wirewrapped together to form a truly one of a kind LUXE pendant. It was then finished off with an elegant Sterling Silver Cable chain and a unique Spiral Heart Hook and Eye clasp and the entire piece was then oxidized and polished to give a patina that enhances the wirework.
My Etsy shop: www.mossandmist.etsy.com
Anorthosite from the Precambrian of Finland.
Anorthosite is a coarsely-crystalline, intrusive igneous rock dominated by plagioclase feldspar. Pyroxene and other minerals are often present in minor amounts. Anorthosite is an uncommon rock on Earth, but is abundant on the Moon.
The sample seen here has very large crystals of labradorite, a type of plagioclase feldspar that often shows a rainbow play of colors. This comes from a gabbro-anorthosite body in Finland's Wiborg Batholith. Mineral percentages reported from the intrusion: 81% labradorite, 10% pyroxene, 4% quartz, and 5% other minerals. I don't see pyroxene in this sample, so I'm calling it anorthosite. If the specimen had less than 90% labradorite, it would be a gabbroic anorthosite.
Geologic unit: 1 x 2 square kilometer gabbro-anorthosite body in the central Wiborg Batholith, Baltic Shield/Fennoscandian Shield, late Paleoproterozoic, 1.633 Ga
Locality: attributed to a quarry at Ylijärvi (= Geological Survey of Finland map 3133, sheet 1, grid coordinates 6740.20-35467.50), ~6 kilometers southwest of Ylämaa village, southern Kymi Province, southern Finland
Fretwork in Copper and Sterling Silver,Textured and Riveted, Wire wrapped, Labradorite Nuggets and Copper chain
A slab of Labradorite from Ylamaa County, Finland... Finnish Labradorite is referred to as Spectrolite and is it's national stone...
As each country is entitled to name its own gemstones, Professor Aarne Laitakari, then Director of the Geological Survey of Finland, chose the name "Spectrolite", obviously having in mind the spectrum, the colours of which are visual poetry
Please read my profile for more information about my craft.
This 90 carat handcrafted labradorite pendant is created swirling and shaping gunmetal copperwire by hand, adding labradorite chips and Swarovski crystals to enhance the natural beauty and shape of the stone.
It measures 1 1/4" across and 2 1/2" top to tip including the bail.
The bail is designed to be large enough to accommodate your favorite chain, choker or cord, not included.
Labradorite's are used very often by the fairies. The stone gives spells extra power, and helps you find inner peace when meditating. But when you look at the stone, you will have no doubt that it holds great magic, it shimmers in the light, with all the colours of the rainbow. Pictures can never give fully credit to a stone this beautiful.
Materials** Pure oxidized copper, handmade clasp, Labradorite..
week#3 - about me - abstract
I am fascinated with stones, rocks, gems. I collect (buy) some pieces for jewellery making, some just to hold and look at, like this chunk of labradorite. So much to see, when you look closely, so many beautiful patterns, colours, shapes etc. I was one of those kids who always came home from the beach with pockets full of stones, and I guess I haven't really grown up all that much :)