labradorescence Min.
(ˌlæbrədɔːˈrɛsəns)
[f. labradorite + -escence.]
The brilliant play of colours exhibited by some specimens of feldspars, esp. labradorite.
| 1911 Encycl. Brit. XVI. 30/1 This optical effect, known sometimes as ‘labradorescence’, seems due in some cases to the presence of minute laminæ of certain minerals..arranged parallel to the surface which reflects the colour. 1962 W. A. Deer et al. Rock-Forming Min. V. 143 The phenomenon of labradorescence, however, has not been conclusively explained. 1966 J. Sinkankas Mineral. viii. 235 Vivid colors also arise from within labradorite feldspar, the effect being known as labradorescence. |