Red is the most prized color for this gemstone, and this one is an even more rare dark red-violet or maroon with a slightly silvery shimmer within it. This unusual gem is cut in Princess cab shape to emphasize the consistent depth of color. As some darker colored sunstones are, it is included and flawed on one end--the basalt inclusions led to the flawing. The overall quality of the stone because of the color, cut and general overall clarity is good, but the inclusion-flawing on its own is an I1 clarity grade.
Labradorite is an ancient gem, in fact these gems have been discovered in Viking burial mounds in Labrador. It was thought that the sunstone aided in navigation. Labradorite is the State Gem of Oregon, 
where it has been collected by Native Americans for centuries. While found all over the world, feldspar crystals are rarely gem grade. Only Harney County and Lake County Oregon f(below), have crystal phenocyst deposits of gem grade and large enough to facet or cab for fine jewelry.
It is the copper and iron in the gems that that make Oregon Labradorite special and determine the colors. The bright copper platelets gave the name Heliolite, from the Greek helios for sun and lithos for stone. Varying amounts of copper cause the stones to range in color from water clear to yellow, as well as many shades of green, red and pink. Some stones contain from two to four of these colors, and some have pure native copper platelets that cause the stone to sparkle. This effect is called aventurescense or schiller.
