{"id":9346,"date":"2022-04-14T16:54:57","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T16:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rockseeker.com\/?p=9346"},"modified":"2022-04-28T16:04:37","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T16:04:37","slug":"rainbow-moonstone-vs-labradorite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockseeker.com\/rainbow-moonstone-vs-labradorite\/","title":{"rendered":"Rainbow Moonstone vs. Labradorite (Similarities and Differences)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Rainbow<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Two common specimens these days are Rainbow Moonstone and Labradorite. Both of them have similar properties: internal flash, visible crystals, and the tendency to capture people\u2019s eyes from across the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how similar are they really? Is there overlap in their mineral families?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on, I\u2019m going to help you mine to the root of the matter with a basic guide comparing rainbow moonstone versus labradorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Rainbow Moonstone?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"moonstone\"\/
Rainbow Moonstone often displays the same color as labradorite due to their close relation.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Rainbow Moonstone<\/a> is a milky-to-water clear form of feldspar with an internal low that ranges from blue to orange, with very rare specimens displaying some more unique colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fire of Rainbow Moonstone is internal, showing up due to the way the crystals form and disperse light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rainbow Moonstone ranges from milky white to almost water clear, where only the small dividing sections between the crystals can be seen internally. Specimens with higher clarity and more fire demand higher prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rainbow Moonstone is related to regular Moonstone, but it\u2019s actually a slightly different species of mineral. Both are still feldspar, but they can be hard for the untrained eye to tell apart. The difference lies in the mineral\u2019s components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rainbow Moonstone is a calcium-enriched plagioclase feldspar, while \u201cnormal\u201d Moonstone is a combination of orthoclase and plagioclase which are a different sort of feldspar. It\u2019s effect is caused by the inter-growth of crystals of those two materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rainbow Moonstone, on the other hand, has an effect created by the slow growth of crystals occurring in different layers with the right amount of calcium. When the angles are right on the lamellar growth pattern you get the internal glow associated with the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rainbow Moonstone is a relatively new addition to the gem trade, but it\u2019s rapidly become respected in its own right. It\u2019s readily available, and often much cheaper than traditional moonstone for a stone of equivalent size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Labradorite?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"What
Like all feldspars, labradorite takes well to carving, allowing the fire to enhance the details.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Labradorite is in the same species of mineral as Rainbow Moonstone. You\u2019d do best to consider them like breeds of dog: while rather dissimilar in looks they\u2019re still the same beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labradorite is a triclinic feldspar mineral<\/a> that has an iridescent schiller. Colors in labradorite range from yellow to blue in most cases, but orange<\/a> and purple specimens are readily available as well. In some very<\/em> rare cases, natural red is also found in labradorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labradorite is usually a dull grey to black overall, with the optical effect providing all of the stone\u2019s color when viewed. The \u201cflash\u201d is ideally cut to be front-facing, but sub-optimal cuts can lead to it only being viewed at an angle. Most Labradorite is at least superficially transparent, and the crystals are sometimes brownish or greenish-white instead of grey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labradorite is another common stone in modern use, particularly among amateur smiths and wire wrappers. The interesting visual effect is offset by the massive formations of the stone, so a good-sized cabochon of labradorite is often cheaper than any other \u201csemi-precious\u201d stone. It\u2019s a good \u201cbang for your buck\u201d stone in jewelry or for mineral collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Rainbow Moonstone, Labradorite\u2019s schiller comes from the intersection of different growth planes of crystals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extremely high-grade labradorite is often \u201cflashy\u201d from multiple angles, and when it\u2019s combined with a solid background you\u2019ll sometimes see it referred to as spectrolite. Spectrolite is<\/em> an expensive stone, and often shows larger ranges of color than other specimens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other times, lower-grade samples are sold under the name to try and command a higher price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in the end, labradorite is simply a feldspar crystal with internal angles that create an awesome optical effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n