Birds and Nature, Vol. 12 No. 2 [July 1902]: Illustrated by Color PhotographyVarious
History
Birds and Nature, Vol. 12 No. 2 [July 1902]: Illustrated by Color Photography
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
Top row:
Amazonstone, crystallized (Colorado).
Amazonstone, crystallized (Colorado).
Amazonstone (Colorado).
Center row:
Labradorite, polished (Labrador).
Labradorite, polished (Labrador).
Bottom row:
Sunstone (Norway).
Moonstone, polished (Norway).
The second species of Feldspar which may be mentioned as of use as an
ornamental stone is labradorite. This differs in composition from
amazonstone in containing soda and lime in place of potash, the
percentages in a typical labradorite being, silica 53.7, alumina 29.6,
lime 11.8 and soda 4.8. Labradorite has the typical cleavage of Feldspar
and cleavage surfaces in the direction of easiest cleavage are usually
marked by rows of parallel striae. These show that the mass is made up
of a series of crystal twins in parallel position and afford an
excellent criterion for determining a triclinic Feldspar. Labradorite is
a common rock-forming mineral, especially in the older rocks. It is
only, however, when it occurs in large pieces which exhibit a play of
colors that it is prized as an ornamental stone. The labradorite
exhibiting the latter property in the most remarkable degree and hence
most valued is that found on the coast of Labrador near Nain and the
adjacent island of St. Paul. It was first found here by a Moravian
missionary named Wolfe and brought to Europe in the year 1775. It occurs
together with the form of pyroxene known as hypersthene, in a
coarse-grained granite, or perhaps a gneiss. From these it is weathered
out by wave and atmospheric action and occurs as beach pebbles. It is
also mined from veins. Labradorite of pleasing color and opalescence
occurs in a few other localities in Canada, and in Essex county, New
York, in the United States. Two localities occur in Russia, one near St.
Petersburg and the other in the region of Kiew. The labradorite of the
latter locality is the better, its occurrence being in a coarse-grained
gabbro. The Labrador occurrence exceeds all others, however, in
abundance and beauty and by far the larger quantity used in the arts
comes from there. The play of colors which gives labradorite its
attractiveness is rarely seen to advantage except upon a polished
surface, but whether polished or unpolished it only appears when the
surface is held at a particular angle with reference to the eye. Emerson
thus describes it in his essay on Experience as illustrating the
limitations of the individual: “A man is like a bit of Labrador spar,
which has no lustre as you turn it in your hand until you come to a
particular angle; then it shows deep and beautiful colors.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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