Buyer Beware – Mystic Labradorite
joy.joyner on Apr 13 2008 at 11:34 pm | Filed under: Beads, Gemstone, Rants
First off, let me say, I adore Labradorite. It’s the stone that started my infatuation with geology, and my love of stone beads. Recently, I’ve been seeing “Mystic Labradorite” floating around in the bead world. Labradorite is a feldspar mineral, and feldspar minerals make up 60% of the earth’s crust. They’re everywhere.
Labradorite is known for it’s amazing flash of color, called labradorescence or schiller. This effect can produce an amazing display of colors ranging from blues and gold to pinks and purple. It’s a naturally amazing stone. Spectrolite is a variety of labradorite that comes from Finland. It’s much darker, and flashes almost neon colors. It can only be called spectrolite if it’s from Finland, everything else is just labradorite.
It seems recently, someone decided nature wasn’t enough with labradorite, and started producing what’s being sold as “Mystic Labradorite”. I’m not at all sure how they achieve this effect, but, from my glass working friends, I’ve been told there’s a spray that can be used, on glass, that gives this effect. Two downsides, it is TOXIC and it wears off easily. Now, from the “Mystic Labradorite” that I’ve had my hands on I can tell you, the “mystic” finish rubs off very easily. It is NOT heated to achieve this effect. If you heat labradorite, it looks the sake as is did before you heat it. The “mystic” finish is a man made substance applied to the surface.
I’ve been doing some reading, and seeing people selling this stone at outrageously expensive prices. Why? I have no idea. True gem quality labradorite can fetch high dollars, and should, but this stuff is not worth it. I’ve also seen the fact that the finish rubs off so easily touted as a selling point! “The finish wears off to reveal the beauty beneath!” What?! Are you kidding me?! Just give me the beauty underneath, thank you.
- labradorite is said to encourage one to look beneath the surface to see the beauty within.
Mother Nature makes such wonderful things. Who are we to try to perfect it? Buyer beware!
Well, I’m safe… the only labradorite that I’ve gotten recently has all come from you. :)