How to clean it
Warm soapy water. No ultrasonic — feldspar cleaves.
Grey with blue, green and gold flashes
Labradorite
Properties
Composition
Calcium sodium aluminium silicate — plagioclase feldspar
Hardness (Mohs)
6–6.5
Crystal system
Triclinic
Colour
Grey with blue, green and gold flashes
Mined in
Canada (Labrador), Madagascar, Finland, Russia
Worth knowing
The flash — labradorescence — appears only at certain angles, caused by light bouncing off internal layers.
History
Described in Labrador in 1770; Inuit tradition held that the northern lights were trapped inside the rock.
Practical
Caring for Labradorite
How to tell it is real
Cheap imitations use coated glass. Real labradorescence appears only at certain angles and vanishes as you tilt; a coating flashes from every direction.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Softer than household dust. Better in earrings or a pendant than in a ring, where it takes constant knocks.
Traditional associations
Labradorite is traditionally linked to transition, intuition and protecting your own energy. In chakra systems it is placed at the Third Eye, Throat, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Water.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Labradorite made of?
Calcium sodium aluminium silicate — plagioclase feldspar, crystallising in the triclinic system.
Where does Labradorite come from?
Canada (Labrador), Madagascar, Finland, Russia.
How do I clean Labradorite?
Warm soapy water. No ultrasonic — feldspar cleaves.
How can I tell if Labradorite is real?
Cheap imitations use coated glass. Real labradorescence appears only at certain angles and vanishes as you tilt; a coating flashes from every direction.
Can I wear it every day?
At 6–6.5 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.