Glittering Stones » Semi Precious Stones » Labradorite

Semi Precious Stone Labradorite

Labradorite, feldspar mineral that act as an intermediate to calcic member of the plagioclase series. Labradorite occurs as white to gray and blocky to lath shaped grains in mafic igneous rocks like basalt, gabbro and anorthosites. It is one of the attractive gemstone with chemical formula of ((Ca,Na)(Al,Si)4O8).

It is defined as having "%An" (anorthite) between 50 and 70. The specific gravity for the mineral ranges from 2.71 to 2.74 and the refractive index is 1.555 to 1.575. The gemstone varieties of labradorite exhibits high degree of iridescence namely spectrolite, moonstone, sunstone and high-quality samples with good iridescent qualities are desired for jewelry.

Historical Facts of Labradorite

Refractive Index: 1.555 - 1.575

Chemical Composition: (Ca,Na)(Al,Si)4O8

Hardness: 6

Density: 2.71 - 2.74

Crystal system: Triclinic

Ocurrence: Canada

Color: Gray, White

Precious Stone Jewelry Labrodorite