TribeBlog

One of the most popular materials we carry is a stone called Labradorite. This stone has one of the most unique characteristics of any stone in the world: it flashes with an entire rainbow of colors, sometimes so brightly that it can be blinding in full sun, and you often have to underexpose photographs of it to show any detail.

Labradorite is a feldspar with a hardness of approximately 6 on the Mohs hardness scale, and it originates from Labrador, Canada as well as Madagascar and a few other locations around the world. It occurs most frequently as light to dark gray or gray-green in rough form with large crystalline planes and seams throughout. In high quality material the crystalline structure is such that at the right angle, it refracts a huge spectrum of colors from various layers within the material.

We have had material ranging in color from white (essentially clear with flash) through light yellow, orange and copper, fuchsia and purple, light aqua to dark aqua, light blue, dark blue and near blue-black. Specimens may contain one solid color, two colors, a color shift (both within the same spectrum such as aqua to dark blue, or even opposite spectrums such as from aqua to yellow), or multiple colors across the same cut face of stone. In our experience, the rarest colors are the fuchsia and purples as well as some transitional shades of pink-copper, and very light blue to true white flash. We do have some examples of these that we keep as display specimens in our showroom in Richmond, Virginia.

Making jewelry from labradorite can be tricky due to the amount of time it takes to go from a large rough chunk of stone to a usable slab form cut in the correct manner for maximized flash across the face. Onetribe’s labradorite custom work consists of pieces cut for maximum flash on a case by case basis, and a great deal of time is put into selecting the best material for each project based on the needed size, color and shape. We aim for 85% or more solid flash across the faces of anything we create from this stone, and generally (not always but as frequently as possible) pieces will flash straight on when rotated to the correct viewing angle, allowing them to flash easily while being worn. We do not create concaves or tunnels from this material as it cuts through the flash, reducing or potentially eliminating any color that would otherwise be evident.

The labradoresence or schiller effect, as the flash is known, can be solid bright color, subdued “faded” flash color, flash only at certain angles, or create a “blinds” effect where lines of schiller flash on and off as the piece is moved. This “blinds” effect is uncommon, but particularly interesting because of the movement created within the piece as it ‘flutters.’ The flash effect always looks best in direct to diffused natural daylight, artificial light is not appropriate for viewing the true color and intensity of labradorite.

Below you will find examples of various cuts containing different colors.

Slab containing mixed orange copper to aqua flash.

A golden and aqua example of flash that ‘flutters’ as the viewing angle is changed. The crystalline layers have formed in such a way as to display lines of flash which fade and brighten as the stone is moved.

A specimen showing a vibrant orange to copper with border of deep blue. This is a great example of how erratic the interior of labradorite can be – as shown there is only a small amount of flash across this mostly dark gray stone. Everything but the flash gets cut away when making A Grade labradorite jewelry, contributing to the elevated cost of such pieces over standard stones.

The same stone shown at an alternate viewing angle with a highly desirable, very intense section of red-copper to fuchsia/pink flash.

A choice example of the great deal of variance in labradorite. This very desirable specimen contains a gradual fade from a very dark blue through aqua into the yellow spectrum. Again, note the dark gray base color on the corner. That is the way this stone looks when not rotated to the appropriate viewing angle for schiller.

A roughly cut specimen showing pockets of aqua and dark blue flash interspersed randomly throughout the stone.

An erratic stone featuring several colors of very, very vibrant flash including yellows, oranges, coppers, aqua, dark blue, and the very rare and coveted true purple in focus in the foreground. This stone gives a good idea of the challenges faced by stone cutters attempting to create items with solid flash across a plane.

A very interesting and uncommon specimen of labradorite with fading bands of color throughout.

Wonderful specimen showcasing a near perfect “gold” color.

This entire 2lb+ stone was entirely devoid of flash except for one section of light purple along an edge.

A large, very intense section of aqua flash fading to blue. This is world class quality rough.

Mixed colors featuring yellow into gold and copper with aqua-blue accents.

A choice specimen of rare true purple flash from our studio display collection.

A highly desirable, very intense display specimen featuring yellow into copper with bright pink accents and a beautiful mixture of texture and line.

Below we have shown examples of finished jewelry created by Onetribe from our select A Grade labradorite. Please note the sizes as this makes a big difference when it comes to the amount of color, number of colors and distinction of pattern within the pieces.

3/4″ (19mm) plugs with aqua/blue color and various lines/seams.

1 3/16″ (30mm) plugs with very intense copper flash.

5/8″ (16mm) ghostly light blue plugs.

A set of approximately 1 1/4″ (32mm) labradorite plugs flashing at just below the optimal viewing angle. With the camera raised up slightly to view the plugs straight on they would flash as solid color.

The same set at the optimal viewing angle.

1″ (25.4mm) plugs with yellow toward aqua and blue flash.

10mm plugs with slightly larger faces.

A large grouping of labradorite jewelry featuring plugs (both flat faced and convex) and a septum spike. Convex surfaces on labradorite cause the flash to appear a ghostly shimmer similar to tiger’s eye in effect, while flat faces cause the flash to appear all at once at the proper viewing angle.

Two sides of the same set of 1″ labradorite plugs from the previous photograph. Every now and then we are able to cut a slab that will flash on both sides, and this piece not only exhibits flash on both sides, but is effectively two totally different colored sets of plugs, with one side being more aqua/blue colored and the opposite side showcasing yellow/gold. The veining in this set and ‘flutter’ effect as light bounces across the pieces makes this an incredible set of plugs.

A 3/4″ (19mm) oval labret from labradorite.

A very oval 5/8″ (16mm) mixed blue-aqua labret.

Two views of a 1.5″ (38mm) set of labradorite plugs featuring several colors. Note the flat gray base color of the saddle and how the flash starts to fade out to dark gray as the viewing angle is changed.

0g (8.2mm) teardrop shaped labradorite plugs that fade from light blue to dark blue depending on the viewing angle.

3/4″ (19mm) very brightly mixed color labradorite plugs featuring a large amount of internal veining.

1″ (25.4mm) labradorite plugs taken side by side from the same slab, showing a distinct fade from light blue toward dark across the two pieces.

A 16×9mm oval labret featuring a light to dark blue ‘flutter’ effect, very interesting in a labret piece due to the amount of motion inherent in lip piece. The flash on this dances across the vertical lines as the piece moves.

A large array of plugs in different sizes showcasing the sheer difference in color and pattern evident in just a few pieces of labradorite rough.

A 1 3/8″ (35mm) set of plugs featuring a fade from yellow-aqua to blue across the pieces.

As you can see, labradorite is a stone with some very special qualities, and no two stones are completely alike in their color and pattern. We pride ourselves on sourcing and cutting some of the highest quality labradorite in the world, and we are happy to create custom pieces from it, both in solid stone form as plugs (round or teardrop) as well as cabochons for bezel setting and inlay into other materials, such as wood and other stones. For more information on the availability of this stone, please contact us with your needs.

We had incredible success with the Amazonite material that we sourced from a local mine in 2009 so we decided to ring them up and go out there again in January. Here’s a snapshot of some of last year’s material:

For more information on our previous trip and more photos of the mine grounds and such check out last year’s trip post: Onetribe Goes Mining! We didn’t document quite as much this year as we’d already visited previously and both us and the mine owner had schedules to keep.

Amazonite is a microcline feldspar with an incredible blue-green color that occurs a few places in the world, and one of those places is about 40 minutes from our Onetribe HQ here in Richmond, Virginia. Amazonite, depending on the quality, can vary from a mostly white to sea foam green color to a very deep, semi-translucent green-blue color unlike any other stone. For a while we had been working material from Brazil and by pure chance stumbled upon the local source, which conveniently happens to be hands down the nicest material we have ever seen. We started working the local material in early 2009 and received immense response from customers for standard plugs and custom orders, some involving gem grade semi-translucent material that is very rare.

The mine owner was happy to oblige and we made an appointment to show up on a Friday afternoon. Since we last visited we’ve hired one new employee and had another that didn’t go out last year so we decided to close up shop early and make it a company field trip. We had a ton of fun, as we often do at work.

The mine is a very small operation, family owned and mostly geared toward school field trips coming out and panning for Amazonite, small garnets, non-gem quality topaz, mica, quartz and other stones that occur here in Virginia. It’s a very basic setup with zero automation, minimal machinery, and lots of manual labor to get the material out of the ground. Walking around the grounds you really get a feel that this is not a fancy place, but rather a small scale labor of love for the owner, who has a background in much larger geology and mining operations.

There are large pieces of material of varying quality sitting around on the ground, and one of the neat things about visiting is that the ground is literally splashed with incredible color as Amazonite is very fragile and easily fractures into small pieces, which litter the ground like tiny bits of semi-precious trash.

When we visited last time we were told that there was some really nice material down in the walls that they’d yet to bring up to the surface. This past autumn they finally had a chance to get in there and do it, and the material got stored away unsearched until we got our grubby little jewelry making stone geek hands on it.

In 2009 it was bitterly cold but we roughed it for the sake of sweet rocks. This time not only was it bitterly cold, but it was raining so basically it was miserable. But we did it for you guys! Okay, a little for us too, we do heart sweet rocks.

We take a lot of pride in going through the effort to hand pick most of the materials we use for our jewelry. One stone at a time, from tiny slivers barely large enough for 6mm cabochons to pieces large enough for jewelry several inches in size, we spent the next couple of hours sorting for best color and quality and speaking with the mine owner about our selections.

I have no idea what the hell I was doing, but it was funny and I think Marshall, our wood turner and dedicated mine documentarian (and only other full time staff member in our Virginia studio not in these photos – we’s small!) was laughing so hard the shot got all crazy. I was obviously proud of “deez rocks!”

We walked out with nearly 100lbs of material, and I just took about half of that down to our second workshop in Indonesia for production runs of plugs, teardrops and some septum spikes that will be done a little later this spring. We also set aside some of the nicest material – deepest color and saturation and most translucent, for a run of very high quality cabochons for bezel setting, and of course there’s plenty on hand here at the Richmond workshop for custom work.

Expect some beautiful things to be available from this wonderful material this spring!

We are very happy to have acquired a source for gorgeous ammolite material as round and oval triplet cabochons. Ammolite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, occurring in gem form only in remote areas of Alberta, Canada. The material forms in connection with the fossilization of ammonite shells (small extinct mollusks). The colors are the result of light refraction within various layers of the material, which itself is very thin – half to three quarts of a millimeter in thickness. Our cabochons are bonded to a slate backing and capped with a quartz dome for protection.

Red/orange and green are the most common colors, with harder to find colors being various shades of blue, pink and purple. The value of ammolite is determined by how many colors there are, how clear they are, and the overall brilliance of the color shine. Many stones exhibit different colors at different angles.

Below you will find examples of ammolite cabochons in our collection. We have the ability to source more for color, size or shape, but keep in mind that the price increases DRASTICALLY by size and it is easily possible to end up paying mid three to low four digit prices for large specimens. We have chosen the sizing we currently have because of the affordability of our source at these sizes.

We currently have 8mm and 10mm rounds and 9×11mm ovals available for setting into the following styles:

• Solid or concave plugs in any material
• Mayan flared styles
• Single flared jewelry of any style for conches, flats, etc
• Round or oval labrets

We can set the ammolites into the following metals (either prong or bezel) for hardware attachment to the material composing the wearable surface of the jewelry:

• .925 Sterling Silver
• Yellow or White Gold
• Copper (bright, matte, textured/etc)
• Brass

Pricing will vary by the cost of the ammolite material itself (taking into account the colors wanted and quality of the stones), the overall design and construction of the jewelry (the stone or wood used, and the metal that the setting is composed of) and the amount of labor involved in completing the project. If you’re interested in wearing a piece of this beautiful gemstone, please get in touch!

I was visiting some vendors we use this past weekend and ran across these two slabs of banded agate that were just too nice to pass up. The first is a beautiful dark & light blue, gray and white banded slab measuring 8″ wide, 5.5″ tall and is approximately 1″ thick.

The second slab is of similar pattern but displays deep blues, tans and nice earthy browns and is incredibly translucent. This slab measures 7″ x 5″ x 1″.

We can make just about anything from these stones:

• Very large plugs/concaves/tunnels
• Mayan flared jewelry of relatively large size
• Carved items such as weights and rings
• Cabochon inlays of this material or into this material

Priority will be given to projects of larger size as they will do more to showcase the various colors and texture in the banding, although there will inevitably be cut-offs and material left for smaller projects, so don’t hesitate to ask.

We would prefer to do interesting stuff instead of just plain plugs, and because both of these stones are relatively translucent, we would love to do at least one set of decent sized standard or Mayan flared tunnels with large cabochons of these materials inlaid so you can see light through them.

If you have interest in having jewelry made from these items, please get in touch!