POLISHED LABRADORITE FREEFORM SCULPTURE. ...

Description

POLISHED LABRADORITE FREEFORM SCULPTURE
Madagascar
Labradorite is a rare member of the feldspar group of minerals, crystallized from the molten magma that forms beneath the surface of the earth. Its characteristic green-grey appearance does not seem especially remarkable until a specimen is worked to a high polish, as is the case with the present example; when light hits the surface in a particular way it brings to life the incredible shimmering labradorescence that makes this such a popular mineral. The iridescent sheets of color that ripple across the surface are the result of twinning on a microscopic level; the alternating parallel layers of feldspar crystals selectively reflect only those light waves of the proper wavelength or color. This is not seen on all labradorite specimens - some exhibit no areas of iridescence at all - but the present example, displays brilliant sheets of gold, green and blue over all of its surfaces. Highly polished, the better to display this wonderful natural phenomenon, it measures an impressive 15 3/8 inches high.

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