The discovery of Labradorite was (not surprisingly) on the Labrador Peninsula in Canada. Labradorite can look very unassuming, especially in flat light. It most often has a gray cast with some black accents. But when you catch the light at a certain angle, you see this beautiful blue or yellow flash. Although Labradorite is fairly common, each stone has its own level of flash.

This one is a lower grade one - Labradorite in Gabbro, it has a nice flash of blue and silver:

I recently splurged on two very fine specimens, one is partially pictured below.

Sources:

Labradorite is mined in Italy, Greenland, Finland, Russia, Canada and Scandinavia.

Care of Labradorite:

Labradorite is a fairly brittle stone. It cannot withstand a hard strike. Store your Labradorite jewelry in a soft container away from other stones and metals.

Metaphysical Properties:

According to the Crystal Bible by Judy Hall, "Iridescent Labradorite is a highly mystical and protective stone, a bringer of light...deflects unwanted energies from the aura and prevents energy leakage.”

Physical Properties:

Per the Gemstones of the World 5th Edition by Walter Schumann: "

Color: Dark gay to gray-black, with colorful iridescence, also colorless, brownish

Color of streak: white

Mohs' hardness: 6 - 6 ½

Density: 2.65 – 2.75

Cleavage: Perfect

Fracture::Uneven, splintery, brittle

Crystal system: (Triclinic), platy, prismatic

Chemical composition: NaAlSi3O8 to CaAl2Si2O8 Sodium calcium aluminum silicate

Transparency:Transparent to opaque

Refractive index: 1.559-1.570

Double refraction: -+0.008 to 0.010

Dispersion: 0.019 (0.010)

Pleochroism: very weak: colorless to pale green, lively green, olive-green

Absorption Spectrum: not diagnostic

Fluorescence: Yellow striations

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