About Labradorite Stone
Labradorite is known for its unique light-reflecting capabilities. Producing similar colours and effects of the northern lights, Labradorite is truly a magical gemstone found right here in Canada.
Labradorite is typically found in Northern Labrador near the town of Nain. It can be found across the globe in Australia, Finland, Norway, China, and Madagascar, but labradorite from Northern Labrador has unique qualities. On the Mohs scale, it has a hardness of 6.0 to 6.5. This is suitable to wear, but not for everyday use. Other feldspar stones and minerals can be found in the Labrador region with colours ranging from purple, blue, green, yellow, and some brown.
Labradorite and stones like it have been synonymous with magic and the colours of Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights.) The pearlescent sheen and transcendental schiller effect allow the stone to capture multiple colours at once similar to ammolite or opal. Overall, this stone creates grey blue, purple, and green palette. This is referred to as labradorescence, which is part of how it gets its name.
Because of these magical effects and colours, labradorite has been known to help with courage, creativity, and mysticism. Many believe that labradorite allows the wearer to connect with their higher consciousness because of its close connection to a natural phenomenon.
Also Read: Ammolite | About the Stone, Benefits, and Jewellery
Labradorite Jewellery
Real labradorite jewellery is hard enough to wear often, but not every day. It’s an amazing stone that can add an eye-catching element to any outfit, especially in different types of lighting. The wearer will see a different colour when worn at night compared to during the day, which is truly the most magical part of the stone.
Labradorite Earrings
During this shoot, I used the same editing and lighting for all the shots. You can see just how transformative the stone appears just by changing position slightly.
To see our online selection of labradorite, check out our page here.
Labradorite Necklaces
Depending on the cut of your stone, labradorite can be worn with a variety of colours and patterns. Because of its unique light-reflecting abilities, we recommend staying away from busy patterns. Let your stone be the star or focal point of your outfit. Try wearing the stone with a monochromatic outfit and a complementing pop of colour you want to highlight in the stone.
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Labradorite Bracelets
Most labradorite in jewellery has a high level of labradorescene so it catches a wider range of colours. Cutting labradorite can be tricky, as the cut needs to capture the full range of colour within the stone. As you can see from Elizabeth Burry’s collection, depending on the cut of the stone, it can produce a wide range of different palettes.
Labradorite Ring
To see more from our resident expert on labradorite, check out Elizabeth Burry's collection here.
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Where Labradorite Comes From
Artina’s Jewellery prides itself on respecting Indigenous cultures and legends. The Inuit hold a relationship with labradorite and the historic land it comes from to this day. In 2005, The Labrador Inuit Development Corporation reached a land claims agreement that allows the Nunatsiavut Government to have control over the land and mining of labradorite in this region.
Labradorite was given its modern name over two hundred years ago by Missionaries exploring the Labrador peninsula. After close inspection, the missionaries found the dull rocks pearlescent blue crystal deposits. In 1975, labradorite was named Newfoundland and Labrador’s official mineral.
Most high-quality labradorite is shipped from Nain, Labrador to Italy where it’s further processed and sold to designers. Today, Inuit carvers are using more traditional materials like labradorite and soapstone. Most of Artina’s Jewellery is made by contemporary Canadian artists who get their labradorite from Labrador.
Most labradorite distributors produce is from Madagascar. These stones are still valuable but don’t have the same colour quality as materials from Labrador. To labradorite professionals, gem quality is associated with where it comes from and the gem’s coarseness. If you do choose to purchase labradorite jewellery, make sure you know where the materials come from to determine the true worth of its quality.
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