Labradorite Feldspars are the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. They vary in composit

LabradoriteFeldspars are the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. They vary in composition between calcium, sodium, and potassium rich end-members, and enough names have been applied to the different compositions that I’ve never even tried to memorize them.Labradorite is a feldspar variety named for Labrador in Canada. Its most distinctive property is the spacy, shimmering, iridescent color reminiscent of the famous ammolite we’ve featured many times.That color originates from tiny inclusions of other minerals grown within the structure. When minerals form at about the scale of visible light, a few hundred nanometers, it can split light into its various colors and create an iridescent pattern like this. As you change the angle that you look at the stone, the color of the light reflecting back to your eyes can change, making the stone move from violet to blue and sometimes all the way up to red.Labradorite’s color is thought to be due to very fine needles of the iron-titanium mineral ilmenite grown within the structure of the feldspar.-JBBImage credit:UCL Geology https://flic.kr/p/hDcUaAReferences:http://bit.ly/1KaxmjDhttp://www.gemselect.com/other-info/about-labradorite.php -- source link

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