Having worked with gemstones for over three years, and being fascinated with them all my life, I am often asked by clients what my favourite gemstones are.

Being constantly surrounded by the beauty of natural gemstones, it is hard to choose just one. However, I would have to mention labradorite as one of the first few gemstones that I truly fell in love with.

What most people don’t know is that labradorite is a mineral that has crystallised into a hard rocky chunk. Yup, you read that correctly; it is technically a feldspar mineral (which basically means that they crystallise from magma found beneath the Earth’s surface).

In its natural state, you may find labradorite in many colours: white, grey, light blue, light green, pale orange-red, and black – usually with a strong multi-coloured display of purple, blue, and green schillers. Schillers are the colour “flashes” that are present in a mineral or stone when it catches the light at an angle.

Labradorite was first discovered in Labrador, Canada, by Moravian missionaries in 1770, who named it after the area. It is, however, referenced in legends by older Inuit tribes; their folklore claimed that labradorite fell from the frozen fire of the Aurora Borealis. Now how can you not love a stone with magic like that?

With its quiet beauty, it’s often easy to overlook labradorite – especially when compared to the more obvious charms of amethysts or opals. But take another look. Tilt that piece of jewellery; let it catch the light and watch the iridescence take your breath away.

According to crystal healers, wearing or carrying labradorite brings out the best in people, making life more congenial. It encourages courtesy and tempers the negative side of our personality. It is beneficial to the lungs, and assists in digestion, regulation, and metabolism. Labradorite calms an overactive mind and energises the imagination, bringing in new ideas. It is an uplifting crystal, helping to banish fears and insecurities.

Humbug or truth? Quite frankly, I am a little more shallow than that; I wear it because I love it, because it never fails to thrill me when I discover a new Schiller in a piece of jewellery that I have owned and worn for so long.

Visit Anaita Thakkar’s page to find out more about her work.

_{This post was first published on Lustre Jewellry blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}
^{Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: Lustre Jewellery}

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