Pink Labradorite Stone: Identification, Uses, and Meaning

Pink labradorite is one of the most interesting and unique looking stones.

Its vibrant colors and movement under light make it highly desirable for both decorative purposes and jewelry.

It is also considered by many cultures to be the stone of love.

Pink Labradorite Stone (Explained)

What Is Labradorite?

Labradorite is a type of feldspar mineral, which is a compound that composes around 60% of the Earth’s crust.

Feldspars are a combination of many minerals, including calcium, sodium, barium, or potassium.

They are igneous rock mostly found in Canada, created from the crystallization of magma, present in both metamorphic and sedimentary rock.

Labradorite in particular displays a stunning color phenomenon because of its iridescent sheen, which has become known as “labradorescence”.

The most highly sought-after labradorite stones are those with the highest caliber of labradorescence.

The labradorescence is caused from light entering the stone as opposed to reflecting off the top, which illuminates all the colors under the surface.

This is known as “twinning” light reflection and can give the stone a three dimensional, multi-colored presentation.

What makes pink labradorite pink?

Labradorite has its fascinating array of colors not based on what the surface of the stone looks like, but what the light looks like as it is reflected.

As light gets shined into the stone, it travels through the various layers and absorbs the colors that are present and reflects those that are not.

The color of pink labradorite is caused by the chemical composition of the stone plus the reflective properties.

How to identify pink labradorite

Labradorite’s exquisite appearance is what makes it such a valuable stone.

That makes it even more important to be able to tell it apart from other similar stones.

Check out the colors

All labradorite contain a beautiful, multicolored appearance, but pink labradorite in particular is dominated by pink hues.

It is mostly a sheer pink, with some blue, silver, and orange tones.

It can be reminiscent of fairy dust or cotton candy.

These colors seem to move as the stone is turned under light.

This is an easy way to tell a genuine pink labradorite stone from a fake; if it is dyed or a different type of stone, it is nearly impossible to replicate the movement of light within it.

This is true for pink labradorite in polished and raw forms.

How to tell if pink labradorite has been heat treated

While labradorite can have a wide range of colors, be aware that the colors should not be super intense.

If it’s pink, then that’s fine; but if it’s really pink, it has most likely been heat treated or dyed to bring out the colors more.

This usually happens when a natural labradorite stone isn’t as colorful as other labradorite, so they treat the stone to make it look more appealing.

While they may be pretty, be aware that they are not natural in this state.

Another way to tell if pink labradorite has been dyed is by checking the patterns of the stone.

Usually, a stone is heated until it cracks on the inside, so that the dye can fill the cracks.

This can give the colors a sort of spider web appearance inside the stone.

This is not a natural pattern, so keep an eye out.

Observe the luster

“Luster” refers to how light is reflected off a stone.

The unique thing about labradorite is that even with raw, unpolished labradorite, it still has a striking luster.

It is also a different kind of luster from most other crystals and stones in that it is not just its reflective surface, but also lustrous from within.

Shine a light through it and see if the light seems to reverberate within the stone.

However, keep in mind that not all labradorite stones contain the famed labradorescence, so don’t use this as a sole indicator.

But, they all should still have a similar luster.

Find out the hardness

The MOHS scale is a useful tool to help you figure out the hardness of a stone, which is a great clue as to its composition.

Stones that are higher up on the MOHS hardness scale are harder, while those lower are softer.

Labradorite is usually between a six and six and a half.

This means that it is able to scratch anything under a six and a half.

You can easily test this with a piece of glass; since glass is usually around five and a half on the hardness scale, pink labradorite should be able to scratch it.

If it can’t scratch glass, then it’s too soft.

You can also try scratching pink labradorite with something higher up on the MOHS scale, such as a drill bit.

If you perform these two tests and it performs as expected, then it most likely is genuine.

What kind of cleavage does it have?

The cleavage of rocks, stones, and crystals refers to how it breaks according to places of weakness in their geological structures.

Labradorite has a very specific cleavage, usually around 86° or 94°.

If you find some pink labradorite out in the wild, pay special attention to how it splits from the rock where you found it.

If it breaks along these angles, then it’s a good indicator that what you have is indeed pink labradorite.

Remember, it’s always important to identify your stone

Labradorite is an uncommon and beautiful stone, with pink being the rarest of all colors.

If you come across one, you want to be absolutely sure that what you have is genuine, because they are very valuable and can be pretty expensive.

There are a few stones that can be easy to get confused with pink labradorite, and that includes other colors of labradorite that may have some pink hues intermingled with other colors.

Remember that pink labradorite specifically has pink as its obviously dominant color.

Moonstone is another stone that can be sneakily passed off as labradorite, especially if it’s dyed, since it has similar optical brilliance.

Use the tips above to ensure that the stone hasn’t been treated and that it has the proper color spectrum and luster.

Spectrolite, however, is the stone that is most commonly confused with any labradorite because it looks almost the same – but it comes from Finland instead of Canada.

It is also even more rare and expensive than labradorite.

Cleaning pink labradorite is relatively simple.

You can use water and a soft washcloth so as not to scratch it.

Remember to dry it quickly so that the water doesn’t seep in and damage the stone.

What it is mostly used for

Although pink labradorite can be used in beautiful jewelry, its most common form is as a tumbled stone.

It is commonly found as decorative pieces to make any room more beautiful.

Some spiritual people even use it for healing, protection, and transformation.

Many cultures regard this stone as connected to the third eye and crown chakras and it is believed that it can help you achieve higher consciousness.

Whatever use you find for this stone, it is sure to please.

Pink labradorite is a real stunner.

If you come across this extraordinary stone, make sure that you are getting the real thing. It’s a gorgeous stone that anyone would be lucky to have.