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Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Larimar, Lodelite
Labradorite
Labradorite was named after the Labrador Peninsula in Eastern Canada where it was first found around 1770. Deposits have also been found in Australia, Finland, Madagascar, India, Mexico and the Adirondack Mountains of the United States. Labradorite is a member of the plagioclase feldspar group and displays a distinctive schiller in lustrous metallic tints. What labradors are made from. The base color of labradorite is a dark smoky gray, but when light strikes the stone in a particular direction, it displays striking rainbow-colored reflections. Most typically, these metallic tints are violet, blue and green; but sometimes yellow, orange and red can be seen. This effect is so unique to labradorite that it is referred to as labradorescence. According to a Canadian Inuit legend, the Northern Lights were once trapped in the rocks along the coast of Labrador, and then a wandering Inuit warrior found them and freed most of the lights with a mighty blow of his spear. Some of the lights were still caught within the stone, however, and thus we have the beautiful mineral known as labradorite.
Rainbow Moonstone is the name given to a variety of labradorite that exhibits a multicoloured adularescence on a light body colour. Rainbow moonstone is a member of the feldspar group. True moonstone is orthoclase (potassium feldspar), rather than labradorite (plagioclase feldspar). These two stones are related, but are technically not the same material. The reason for rainbow moonstone being referred to as "moonstone" is due to its adularescence, which according to some deems it worthy of the name. In fact, some people prefer rainbow moonstone to regular moonstone. Lapis Lazuli
Available in drusy or polished finishes, lapis typically is a gorgeous deep ultramarine shade of blue opaque stone sprinkled with veins of iron pyrite giving a golden flecked stone of interest. We have pendants, beads, rings, earrings and bracelets with lapis as the main or complimentary stone. Lapis lazuli has been used for thousands of years in jewellery and ornamental objects. The unique deep blue color has never lost its attraction. Lapis lazuli, often referred to as just 'lapis', has been mined from Afghanistan since the early 7th millennium BC, and it was discovered in ancient burial sites throughout the Caucasus, the Mehrgarh and even as far as the Republic of Mauritania. The funeral mask for the ancient Egyptian pharaoh 'King Tut' was even discovered to have been decorated with lapis lazuli. Lapis usually forms in crystalline marble through the geological process of contact metamorphism and due to its composition, it is technically defined as a rock rather than a mineral. It is primarily composed of lazurite, while the remaining composition is made up of sodalite, calcite, pyrite and other various minor constituents. The varying composition is what influences its exact coloring. Discovered 6000 years ago, the oldest lapis lazuli deposits are located in the difficult terrain of the West Hindu-Kush Mountains in Afghanistan. Today, Afghanistan is known to produce the finest quality lapis lazuli and is also the most significant source. Other commercial deposits have been also found in Angola, Argentina, Canada, Chile (North of Santiago), India, Italy, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Russia and the United States (California and Colorado).
Larimar
This beautiful opaque variegated stone comes from the only cooperative mine in the world, situated in the Dominican Republic. It's tints of sky, cyan and aqua appear with milky white patterns. It is a rare blue variety of the silicate mineral pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Earrings, rings and pendants of Larimar in sterling silver are available in our friendly local shop to try on with a variety of chains.
Lodelite
A rare quartz variety which is very clear and features "garden" scenes, greens and plantlike inclusions.
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