Hello to summer!

I am really enjoying all the sunshine we've been having lately. Everything feels so much more positive in the light, and when the sky is blue and the leaves are all out and green is all around. I'm trying hard to balance my time between being outside and in the studio but have managed to finish a few things and am in process with others. I will likely wait to list any of my new jewelry in my shop since I have a couple of shows coming up and want to have as many new pieces to show as I can. If you see a picture of new jewelry here in the newsletter that you are interested in, do send me an email! Even if I'm not listing it yet, it is for sale.

Barbara Kay Jewelry News

In the last issue I showed you four cuff bracelets that I was working on. I have finished three of them; for some reason the fourth one is just not speaking to me very loudly. One of these days it will be finished!

A note on silver: Silver prices have gone way up during the past few months. This means that all silver (sheet metal, wire, chains, etc.) that I buy is much more expensive than it was this time last year. I've managed until recently to, for the most part, use silver that I bought a while ago at lower prices, but am now having to use my higher priced silver. That means, of course, that my prices will have to go up a bit. This is a heads up!

Upcoming Shows!

​Vancouver Arts and Music Festival: July 31 to August 3
​This is held in Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington (USA). I will be there on August 1, 2 and 3 (not July 31). This is a terrific event, filled with music, art, food and lots of activities for everyone!

​Washougal Arts Festival: August 9
​This is held in Reflection Plaza in Washougal, Washington. This is another fun event with music all day long, as well as activities for kids.

Clark County Open Studios Tour: November 1-2
​This will, of course, be held in my studio! I'll have more information in future newsletters.

Featured Stone(s): Moonstone and Labradorite

Who doesn't love Moonstone and Labradorite?! While they both have differences, both have flash and colors that shift as the stones are moved in the light; they can both be memorizing.

So, what makes them so flashy and appealing? And why combine them in one Featured Stone article?

Both Moonstone and Labradorite come from the group of minerals called feldspars. Sunstone is another, but we will possibly explore that stone some other time. Feldspars make up over half the earth’s crust. Their composition is made up of mostly aluminum and silicates, along with a few other trace minerals. Most feldspar is just ordinary looking rock, but some varieties end up with colors and shimmers which make them desirable as gemstones.

Moonstone and Labradorite, like other feldspars, were created long ago as molten magma (lava) slowly cooled. This allowed mineral crystals to grow and then to separate into very fine alternating layers. The slightly different mineral composition of each contributes to different basic colors, as well as differences in the flash of color that’s created. Moonstone is usually white, although it can be found in pink, peach and gray; it is also translucent or even transparent. You can see a couple examples of Peach or Pink Moonstone in the picture above. There are often inclusions in Moonstone, which you can easily see due to its translucence. All of the examples in the picture show some inclusions. Moonstones given the highest grade don’t show any inclusions.

The basic color of Labradorite is usually a shade of gray; it is opaque, without inclusions. The flash can be many different colors, depending on the minerals in the stone. The gray base color can usually be seen when the stone is moved around so light isn’t hitting the layers in a way to cause flash.

The play of color that makes both of these stones so fascinating is called the Schiller effect. The Schiller effect is a term used for any sparkle or flash of color that is created through the interaction of light and mineral layers or particles in a stone. There are different types of Schiller effects.

Moonstones exhibit one of those effects called adularescence. As light falls between the very thin mineral layers, it scatters and then reflects and refracts within those layers. This creates a shimmer or glow, usually in a shade of blue. In a really nice piece, the entire stone will glow.

Inclusions in the stone of course affect how spread out the color is. Because of the nature of this effect, the glow and color can change depending on the angle that the stone is held. Moonstones other than white, such as the Peach-Pink Moonstones in the top picture, don’t have quite the same kind of glow. They show more of a shimmery gleam – almost a cat’s eye look – which doesn’t come across all that well in pictures.

The effect that occurs with Labradorites is called labradorescence (named, of course, after the stone). Because of the mineral make-up and shape of the microscopic structures within the stone, the light reacts a bit differently than it does with Moonstones, creating the amazing flash of different colors that we love about Labradorites. This color definitely changes and sometimes disappears when the stone is moved or when it’s viewed from a different side or angle. When using a piece of Labradorite (and to a certain extent Moonstone as well) in jewelry, I have to consider carefully how the stone will be viewed in order to place it with the best possible color play. Labradorites can show a variety of colors, from purple (somewhat rare) to deep blues to turquoise blue to green to gold.

Both stones have a similar hardness (6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale), which means they can be scratched by harder materials but are overall fairly tough and work well in jewelry. Both are usually cut as cabochons (smooth, polished stones with flat backs). And both are occasionally cut with facets – most often with a type of rose-cut pattern with flat back. The small round Labradorites and two slightly larger round Moonstones are all faceted with a rose-cut pattern.

Moonstone has been used since ancient civilizations. Pliny, a Roman natural historian, named the stone when he wrote that its shimmery appearance changed with the phases of the moon. This belief was held into the 16th century! Moonstones were particularly popular in Art Nouveau jewelry, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It has continued in popularity to today. Florida named Moonstone as its official state gemstone in 1970 to commemorate the Apollo 11 moon landing – although Moonstone is not found in Florida. It is also one of June’s birthstones. Moonstones can be found in many parts of the world, but the best come from India, Madagascar, Brazil and Sri Lanka.

Labradorite was first discovered in the 1770s in the Labrador region of Canada, hence its name. The Inuit people had long valued the stone, and legend had it that the Aurora Borealis was trapped inside. It has since been found in other locations including Australia, Finland, Italy, Norway and Ukraine.

I find myself using Moonstones more as accents when I use them on pendants. They, of course, make great moons! They are also lovely in rings. Currently I have two Moonstone rings in the shop, as well as one pendant with a rose-cut Moonstone “moon.” Click the pictures below to see a few more pictures of each. I no longer have the pink Moonstone ring but wanted to show you how lovely it can be!

Labradorites also make beautiful rings. Really, any stone that has the kind of color play that these two stones have can be beautiful in a ring, since a ring by its nature tends to get moved around, letting the color and flash shimmer and change. I currently don’t have any Labradorite jewelry in my shop; the two pictures shown here are of a pendant and ring that I no longer have. I did want to show that glorious blue stone in the pendant; I’ve not come across another Labradorite that is quite that beautiful. As always, doing this research is making me want to create a few more things with these special stones!

Just as with all natural stones, some care should be taken with both Moonstones and Labradorites. Although they are fairly tough, they can be scratched and chipped if they are hit against something hard. It’s also always a good idea to avoid using lotions and chemicals while wearing them – or any hand made jewelry, for that matter. If you do, try to let the product dry before putting the jewelry on. If a little care is taken, these stones will give you amazing beauty and color for years – maybe generations – to come!

Before I leave, here's a picture of some things that are in varying stages of progress. Maybe I'll have pictures of all of them finished by the time I send out the July issue!

I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future newsletters.

Sources used for the Featured Stones article:

Gems And Jewelry: Adularescence vs Labradorescence: What’s the Real Difference - https://www.mensjewlery.org/adularescence-and-labradorescence/​

American Gem Society: June Birthstones History of Moonstone - https://www.americangemsociety.org/birthstones/june-birthstones/history-of-moonstone/​

GeologyScience: Moonstone - https://geologyscience.com/minerals/silicates-minerals/moonstone/​

Geologyin: Labradorite: The Gemstone with Iridescent Play-of-Color - https://www.geologyin.com/2023/11/labradorite-what-is-labradorite.html​