I am taking a cruise stopping at the ports of Stockholm, Helsinki,
Oslo, and Copenhagen. Could anyone give me a source of Spectrolite
in any of those cities? Recently I was in Santa Fe and Albuquerque
and the only Spectrolite I saw dull and lacked any flash or fire.
From what I hear it should be a lively stone and can be found in
Scandanavia.
Thanks for your help,
Richard Langbert
you might want to contact the following company in Norway:
Stromnaes B AS
Telefon: 33 77 09 01
Org nr: 947 480 626
Besoksadresse: Bolumgata 14, 3070 Sande i Vestfold
Sande isn’t too far from Oslo if I remember correctly. he sells
lapidary rough. Otherwise, I can try to find the contact info for a
friend of mine who had a rock shop on the west coast. BTW. you can
actually find Spectrolite in Norway…on the Island of Hidra. I have
some.
jeanne
jeannius.com
Hi Richard
Google Spectrolite.fi.or some such thing and that should get you all
the info you need. It, a shame you are not going to
St.Petersburg.You would’nt believe the Hermitage. Have a wonderful
trip and don’t miss old town Stocholm Bon Voyage.
Roy the corian guy.
Hi Folks…
As I understand it, spectrolite it a type of labradolite, noted by
its spectral flash…
Finland s/b where you’ll find it…
Have seen a number of dealers use the term interchangeably with
labradorlite…
All spectrolite is labradorlite, but not all labradorlite is
spectrolite…
Regardless, decent labradorite should flash all over the place,
whether single color, or spectral…
Gary W. Bourbonais
L’Hermite Aromatique
A.J.P. (GIA)
Richard,
Spectrolite, also known as labradorite, like any gemstone, is found
in a wide range of quality. Cruise lines are notorious for steering
their customers to shops specialising in selling overpriced poor
quality merchandise from which they, the cruise lines, obtain a
profit. Often these shops are owned by the cruise lines outright.
Just because a gemstone comes from a certain area, it does not
follow that the best quality grades of that stone are more easily
obtained there. Having said all that, there’s nothing wrong with
buying a souvenir to remember an enjoyable experience as long as that
is the reason for doing so. The better like top qualitiy
oranges,tend to be sent to places where they will command the best
prices. If you want a souvenir then go for it. If you want a quality
stone I l submit, your best bet is lto get it from a reputable
dealer.
Jerry in Kodiak
Richard,
Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo, and Copenhagen. Could anyone give me a source of Spectrolite in any of those cities?
A friend in Finland sent me some rough spectrolite a few months
back. If you haven’t already found a source, I can contact him for
you.
The rough he sent is solid black, with a lot of flash on both sides.
Lorraine
Just because a gemstone comes from a certain area, it does not follow that the best quality grades of that stone are more easily obtained there.
Spectrolite is the labradorite exhibiting labradorescence across the
whole specter ( red to violet ). It was originally found in Finland,
but can come from many locations.
Beware of faceted “spectrolite”. Spectrolite should be cut en
cabochon. Inclusions of ilmenite along cleavage planes produce
defined chatoyancy.
Faceted stones usually are highly cracked specimens, where cracks are
filled with combination of epoxy and blue dye.
Leonid Surpin
I was in Helsinki two years ago and found both cabochons and rough at
the Helsinki Street Market near the ferry landing for Suomenlinna
Island. Since it was at the beginning of my trip, I didn’t buy very
much and have kicked myself ever since. I got a couple of beautiful
spectrolite cabs and saw lots of rough. The ferry ride and the island
are definitely worth seeing also. The island is an Unesco World
Heritage Site fortress established in 1748 by the Swedes as
protection against Russia. The Street Market is an on going event
that lasts all summer. Enjoy! I want to go to!!