Labrador gemstone

Physical properties of the Labrador

Characteristics of the Labrador

Labradorite (black moonstone, spectrolite, bull's eye, labradorite) is one of the most unique gemstones. After all, this stone has an amazing property to shimmer with colored “lights” - green, blue, golden, blue and other shades, or as it is called scientifically - “irization” (by the way, humanity has not yet learned how to achieve such an effect artificially). Moreover, the effect of irisation is best manifested in bright sunlight.

The Labrador received its name from the name of the island of Labrador, where this extraordinary gem was first discovered. In fact, Labradorite is just a variety of feldspar, but this mineral stands out among its fellows.

The best samples of the Labrador are mined in Finland. It is the Finnish Labrador that is rich in color overflows and therefore received its separate name "spectrolite". Dark labradorite also got its own name - "black moonstone". There are also Labradors with large dark blue spots, otherwise this stone is called "bull's eye".

Very often there are whole breeds that consist of a Labrador. They are called "labradorite". In Russia, the entrance to Lenin's mausoleum is decorated with labradorite (this slab of labradorite weighs 60 tons), some Moscow metro stations and monuments (in particular, to Yuri Dolgorukov and Ivan Fedorov).

Now, most Labradors go to handicraft work - beads, pendants, bracelets, hairpins, only some of the best stones are cut by jewelers.

How much is a labrador

At first, the prices for the labrador were very high, but then, when large deposits of the labrador were discovered, the price of this stone began to fall.

A good quality and large Labrador can cost $300-$350 for a string of beads. Individual stones of a beautiful Labrador are valued at about $5 per carat. However, small Labrador stones can be bought much cheaper - $10 per beads.