Article: Labradorite's 'Blue Rainbow Moonstone'.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Okay, so it is, and it isn't. Yes, it is labradorite. No, it isn't really the mineralogically true "moonstone," although that doesn't keep most of the jewelry trade from calling it that. The proper varietal moonstone is an orthoclase feldspar, so the labradorite feldspar's so-called variety "blue rainbow moonstone isn't too far from the correct branch of the family tree. The difference between labradorite "moonstone" and orthoclase moonstone isn't obvious, which results in the name-calling and mineralogical confusion among dealers and gemologists. Technically, "blue rainbow moonstone" is a misnomer, but a very popular one.

History and romance. The original ...

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