I occasionally browse cabochons on Etsy, I’ve picked up some good impulse purchases here and there.
On Etsy listings, labradorite cabs are very very often photographed with the saturation cranked way up, and ALL colors are listed as “rare”, even the blues. So there’s no surprises there.
But this is the first time I’ve seen these completely red or neon magenta stones. They’re listed as dyed, but I’m still bummed out! I didn’t think anyone was bothering to dye flashy grey body labradorite because it seems to be in fairly ample supply. And, frankly, I thought the dye interfered with the labradoresence.
So have I been under a rock (pun intended) or is this fairly new to the market? Has anyone seen these IRL, or have feelings about them?
My advice would to be to stop buying stones on Etsy. I’ve lost count of how many folks I’ve seen ripped off by online gem brokers. there is no such thing as a “very rare” dyed gemstone. One can often buy dyed stones by the pound. Buy from a trusted source like Rio Grande, Fire On The Mountain, Columbia Gem House, etc. Best to buy from American suppliers or the country that you live in. On Facebook go to and join the Metalsmiths Coffee House. There are lots of pros who can steer you towards their suppliers. And remember in the jewelry trade… If it’s too good to be true, it isn’t.
-Jo
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Oh, I’m not asking if they’re good. I know they’re dyed, and not rare.
I get good stones from reputable vendors when I need them, and for certain projects a cheap but pretty rock that won’t see very hard wear and tear is great! Some of the cabs I’ve gotten from Etsy sellers are quite pretty and great for learning a new skill on. As long as you’re being honest about your materials there are no ‘bad’ rocks.
This is more a curiosity question. Has dyed labradorite been around for a while and I just never saw it? How are they getting dye + flash to work? I think they’re interesting.
