Labradorite looks like dark grey stone until the light hits it at an angle, and then a flash of blue or green moves across the surface — an optical effect called labradorescence, caused by light bending inside thin layers within the mineral. In the Five Elements scheme the deep grey-blue places it with water. Each bead shows its flash differently, and some show almost none, which is the nature of the stone rather than a fault. Sold as jewellery and a small daily curiosity.
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Labradorite is a feldspar, named after Labrador in Canada where it was first described in the 1770s. The blue-green shimmer comes from light interference between microscopic layers inside the crystal — a different mechanism from the colour of, say, aquamarine, which is caused by trace elements. Stones without the effect are simply called grey labradorite and are the same mineral.
Because the flash depends on the angle you hold it at, a bracelet can look unremarkable on a desk and vivid in sunlight. The photographs show beads chosen for a strong flash; expect some beads in your strand to be quieter than that.
