Labradorite

Labradorite is a feldspar mineral of the plagioclase series that is most often found in mafic igneous rocks such as basalt, gabbro, and norite. It is also found in anorthosite, an igneous rock in which labradorite can be the most abundant mineral. Its flash of colors can contain blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and even purple. This mineral can be found in the United States, Canada, Madagascar, Russia, Norway, and the United Kingdom. In Finland, a variation of Labradorite was discovered that displays the entire color spectrum.

This special variety was given the name of Spectrolite. Labradorite is named after its location of discovery on the Isle of Paul, near Nain, Labrador, Canada. It was discovered there in 1770 by a Moravian missionary. Labradorite with superb labradorescence is produced from a few deposits in Finland. The best of this material was given the name "spectrolite" by the director of the Geological Survey of Finland.

Today, specimens of labradorite with exceptional labradorescence from other locations are frequently called "spectrolite." A significant amount of gray to black labradorite with good labradorescence is produced from locations in Madagascar and Russia. Small amounts of transparent labradorite with internal color flash are produced in India. According to the Eskimo Inuit and the Native American Innu of Labrador, legend has it that in the ancient times, the Aurora Borealis were entombed within the rocks on the shoreline of Labrador. One day, an Inuit warrior found it, and struck the rocks with his spear, and the lights exploded into sky, creating what we know today as the Northern Lights.

However, he wasn’t able to free all of them, which is why today we are blessed with the stone of the lights, Labradorite. Another legend claims that a Mighty Being would stroke the rocks in order to travel to the sky. Norse mythology states that the Northern Lights were created by gods and were meant to be freed to be a bridge to the heavens. In Oriental culture, it was called the “phenomenal gem” to be worn on Saturdays. There’s also a myth that the lights inside Labradorite are aliens or evolved beings trying to connect to us.