Spectrolite

Spectrolite from Oslo museum
Polished spectrolite showing the color play

Spectrolite is an uncommon variety of labradorite feldspar.

Spectrolite exhibits a richer range of colors than labradorite (that shows only tones of blue-grey-green) and high labradorescence.[1][2] Spectrolite was initially a brand name for material mined in Finland, but is sometimes used to describe labradorite whenever a richer display of colors is present, regardless of locality: for example, labradorite with the spectrolite play of colors has also reported from Madagascar.[1] The difference between Finnish spectrolite and other labradorites is that crystals of the former have considerably stronger colourfulness than other labradorites, caused by the black base color of spectrolite feldspar; other labradorites have mostly a transparent base color. Spectrolite is often cut as a lapidary cabochon, similar to plain labradorite, to enhance the effect and is used as a gemstone.

Finland deposit

Finnish geologist Aarne Laitakari (1890–1975) had described the peculiar stone and sought its origin for years when his son Pekka discovered a deposit at Ylämaa in south-eastern Finland while building the Salpa Line fortifications there in 1940. The Finnish stone exhibits a uniquely vivid iridescence and a full spectrum of colors, hence the name "spectrolite" was coined by the elder Laitakari.

The quarrying of spectrolite began after the Second World War and has become a significant local industry. In 1973 the first workshop in Ylämaa began cutting and polishing spectrolite for jewels.

References

Seppo Lahti I.1989 The origin of interference colours in spectrolite (iridescent labradorite).Geologi 41.

  1. 1 2 Michael O'Donoghue, Gems, Butterworth-Heinemann, 6th ed., 2006, pp. 238-267, ISBN 0-7506-5856-8
  2. ↑ Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the World, Sterling, 3rd ed., 2007, pp. 52 - 53, 182 ISBN 1-4027-4016-6


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