Labradorite has a habit of catching the light just right, flashing brilliant blue or green like it’s trying to get your attention. In Wisconsin, there are a few places where that flash isn’t just possible—it’s waiting to be found.

From rocky outcrops to quiet gravel pits, certain spots across the state hold pieces of this eye-catching mineral. The trick is knowing where to look and recognizing it when it shows itself.

Some of these places are well-loved by local rockhounds, while others fly under the radar. Either way, they all have one thing in common: labradorite tucked away, ready to be discovered.

How Labradorite Forms Here

Labradorite forms deep underground when magma slowly cools and crystallizes. The process happens when different minerals separate while cooling, creating thin layers stacked on top of each other. These layers have slightly different chemical makeups, usually about 1 micron thick.

When light hits these layers, it creates that stunning blue-green flash we love, called labradorescence. The stone starts out as a mix of calcium, sodium, aluminum, and silicate minerals.

As it cools, these minerals organize themselves into this layered pattern, which happens most often in places where magma intrudes into the surrounding rock. It’s like nature’s own light show, frozen in stone.

Types of Labradorite

Labradorite comes in several distinct varieties. Each type exhibits special qualities that make it sought after by collectors.

Blue Labradorite

Blue Labradorite stands out for its remarkable blue iridescence against a dark gray or black background. When light hits the stone’s surface, it creates a stunning display of electric blue flashes, sometimes accompanied by hints of green or violet.

The blue flashes appear most vivid when viewing the stone from specific angles, creating an almost magical transformation as you rotate it. This effect is often compared to the ethereal beauty of the Northern Lights.

Exceptional specimens display an intense, electric blue flash that covers a large portion of the stone’s surface. Some pieces also show secondary colors like aqua or sea green, adding depth to their visual appeal. The contrast between the dark base and bright blue flashes makes each piece unique.

Golden Labradorite

Golden Labradorite displays a mesmerizing golden-yellow sheen that sets it apart from other varieties. The stone’s surface exhibits brilliant flashes of gold and amber, creating a warm, sun-like glow that seems to emanate from within. These golden rays often appear alongside subtle hints of green or champagne colors.

What makes Golden Labradorite special is its ability to display multiple golden hues simultaneously. Some specimens show a range of colors from pale yellow to deep amber, creating a multi-dimensional effect.

The golden flash can vary in intensity and coverage, with premium specimens showing broad, bright areas of gold schiller.

Rainbow Moonstone

Rainbow Moonstone Labradorite exhibits a distinctive white or colorless base with an enchanting blue sheen that floats across its surface. Blue sheen is often accompanied by flashes of other colors, including pink, yellow, and green.

This stone’s most captivating feature is how its colors appear to float just beneath the surface, creating an almost three-dimensional effect. As light moves across the stone, these colors shift and change, revealing new patterns and combinations. This creates a dynamic display that seems to change with every movement.

The stone’s transparency can range from translucent to semi-transparent, with the most valued pieces showing excellent clarity beneath their shimmering surface.

Spectrolite

Spectrolite reigns as the most dramatic member of this stone family, with its distinctive jet-black base setting it apart from other varieties.

What makes it truly special is that premium specimens can simultaneously display the complete spectrum of colors, from deep indigo to bright orange, emerald green to royal purple, all in a single piece.

The finest specimens possess what experts call “full-face color,” meaning the vibrant display covers most of the stone’s surface rather than appearing in small patches.

This characteristic, combined with its remarkable color intensity, has earned Spectrolite its reputation as the most visually impressive variety of all similar stones.

Transparent Labradorite

Transparent Labradorite exhibits a remarkable clarity that separates it from its opaque cousins. Crystal-clear areas allow light to pass through, creating an exceptional display of blue flashes against the transparent background.

Natural specimens often show areas of both transparency and translucency. Beautiful color changes occur as you move this stone, with the transparent areas revealing subtle blue sheens that seem to float within the crystal.

Some pieces display additional colors like soft greens or pale yellows, though the blue flash remains dominant.

Remarkable clarity combines with the signature color play to create stones that appear almost liquid-like.

Andesine-Labradorite

Reddish-orange hues dominate Andesine-Labradorite’s appearance, creating a warm and inviting glow. Delicate green and yellow streaks often appear throughout the stone, adding complexity to its color palette.

Metallic sparkles dance across the surface, different from the typical labradorescent effect. Fresh discoveries of this relatively new gemstone continue to reveal new color combinations.

Striking color variations appear in high-quality pieces, ranging from deep red to bright orange. Many specimens show subtle color zoning, where different hues blend together in distinct patterns.

Black Labradorite

Black Labradorite presents a dramatic dark canvas that emphasizes its colorful display. Bright flashes of color stand out dramatically against the deep black background, creating stunning visual contrast.

Most specimens show multiple colors at once, creating an eye-catching display. These color displays often include electric blues, emerald greens, and golden yellows, all visible simultaneously.

Natural sunlight brings out the boldest displays, while artificial light can highlight subtle color variations. Some specimens also show interesting patterns in how the colors are distributed.

Brown Labradorite

Brown Labradorite features rich earth tones ranging from deep chocolate to warm amber. Peach and orange undertones often appear throughout the stone, creating depth and dimension.

Multiple color zones create interesting patterns within each stone. These patterns can include stripes, swirls, or mottled areas that combine different brown and orange hues.

Subtle iridescence sometimes appears on the surface, adding an unexpected shimmer to the earthy colors. This effect is more subdued than in other varieties but adds an interesting dimension to the stone’s appearance.

What Rough Labradorite Look like?

Labradorite in its rough form can be tricky to spot, but once you know what to look for, it becomes easier. Here’s how to recognize this fascinating stone in its natural state.

Look for the Signature Flash

Raw labradorite often shows patches of its famous iridescent flash, even when unpolished. Check dark gray or black areas under direct sunlight – you might catch glimpses of blue, green, or gold shimmer.

Sometimes, you’ll need to wet the surface slightly to see this effect better. The flash isn’t always obvious but usually appears as scattered patches.

Check the Base Color and Texture

The main body should be dark gray to black, sometimes with a slight greenish tinge. The surface feels smooth but not glossy, similar to unpolished glass.

Look for a slightly bumpy texture with occasional flat surfaces. Fresh breaks will show a more uniform color than weathered surfaces.

Assess the Hardness and Breakage

Try scratching the surface with a copper penny – it shouldn’t leave a mark. The stone often breaks with smooth, flat surfaces at distinct angles.

You’ll notice these angular breaks are pretty characteristic, unlike random rough breaks in common rocks.

Test the Translucency

Hold a thin edge up to strong light. Raw labradorite should show some translucency, appearing slightly cloudy rather than completely opaque. The edges might look slightly whitish or gray when light passes through. Thicker pieces will appear darker and more opaque.

A Quick Request About Collecting

Tips on Where to Look

Labradorite isn’t super common in everyday places, but with some smart searching, you can find it. Here’s where you should look:

Metamorphic Rock Formations

Look for dark-colored rock outcrops. Spot areas with lots of feldspar minerals. Check exposed cliff faces. Sometimes, when the sun hits just right, you might catch that signature blue flash from larger formations that’s a dead giveaway for labradorite presence.

Glacial Deposits

Search river beds after glacial deposits. Check gravel pits near old glacial paths. Look for smooth, dark gray stones mixed with other rocks. These deposits often contain chunks of labradorite that have broken off from larger formations and been carried downstream over thousands of years.

Mining Tailings

Visit abandoned feldspar mines. Check mine dump areas. Dig through tailings piles. Look for flat, shiny surfaces. The waste rock from old mining operations often contains overlooked pieces of labradorite that weren’t considered valuable during active mining periods but are perfect for collectors.

Stream Beds

Search clear-water streams. Look under water-worn rocks. Check gravel bars after rain. Spot dark, plate-like stones. The constant water movement often exposes and polishes these stones, making them easier to identify when wet.

Some Great Places To Start

Here are some of the better places in the state to start looking for Labradorite:

Lake Superior Shoreline

The Lake Superior Shoreline near Bayfield stretches along Wisconsin’s northern edge, featuring dramatic red sandstone cliffs and pebbly beaches. Located about 85 miles east of Duluth, this shoreline offers some of the best rockhounding opportunities in the Midwest.

Rockhounds have discovered labradorite specimens near Little Sand Bay and Meyers Beach access points. These feldspar crystals wash up after north winds create strong waves that churn the shoreline deposits.

The area’s unique geology stems from ancient Keweenawan volcanic activity. These volcanic flows created the perfect conditions for labradorite formation within the basaltic rocks that now erode into the lake.

Fall visits yield the best results as seasonal storms expose fresh material. Look in the dark gravel patches between larger cobbles, especially after strong northeasterly winds.

Wisconsin River

The Wisconsin River cuts through Columbia County, creating Lake Wisconsin at the Prairie du Sac Dam. This 430-mile waterway exposes glacial deposits containing Labradorite, especially in the stretch between Wisconsin Dells and Sauk City.

Glacial activity during the Pleistocene era transported Labradorite from Canada’s Labrador Peninsula to Wisconsin’s river system. At Wisconsin Dells, the river narrows through 100-foot sandstone formations, concentrating heavier minerals in predictable locations.

Look for Labradorite in the river’s gravel beds, especially after heavy rains when new materials get exposed. Sandbars are another good spot to search as heavier minerals often settle there. Areas around Columbia County are particularly promising for finding this gemstone.

Baraboo Hills

Baraboo Hills spans across Sauk County in south-central Wisconsin, about 40 miles northwest of Madison. This ancient mountain range, over 1.6 billion years old, contains some of North America’s oldest exposed bedrock. The area’s unique quartzite formations display stunning red and purple hues from iron oxide.

Specific labradorite deposits occur near the contact zones between quartzite and younger igneous intrusions throughout the hills. Devil’s Lake State Park offers locations where labradorite samples have been uncovered, especially along the East Bluff trail system, where erosion exposes fresh material.

The best hunting spots are in creek beds after heavy rains, particularly in the southern section of the hills where water cuts through diverse rock layers.

Local rockhounds recommend visiting in spring when snowmelt increases erosion and reveals fresh specimens in the numerous streams cutting through the hills.

Blue River Area

The Blue River Area in Grant County sits in southwestern Wisconsin, about 60 miles west of Madison. This area features unique geology because it lies in the Driftless Area. The river cuts through ancient limestone and sandstone formations dating back 450 million years.

Local rockhounds have reported finding Labradorite specimens in the stream beds where the Blue River has eroded through igneous intrusions. These dark-colored feldspar crystals stand out against the lighter sedimentary rocks common to the area.

The best hunting spots include the gravel bars downstream from Bowers Road bridge, where spring floods deposit heavier minerals. Check the weathered surfaces of dark-colored rocks found along the riverbanks.

Fall months offer the best collecting conditions when water levels drop, exposing more of the riverbed. Morning hours provide ideal lighting to spot the gemstone’s characteristic sheen among ordinary river rocks.

Dodgeville Area

The Dodgeville Area is located in Iowa County. This region is part of the Upper Mississippi Valley Mining District, famous for its lead and zinc deposits. Labradorite specimens have been recovered from several abandoned quarries around Dodgeville, particularly in sections 24 and 27 of T6N R3E.

The area contains unique Ordovician carbonate rocks from the Galena and Decorah formations. The Governor Dodge State Park nearby showcases exposed rock faces where rockhounds sometimes find mineral specimens.

Your best chances for finding Labradorite are in the tailings of old mining operations. These rock piles contain discarded materials where gemstones were overlooked.

The Military Ridge area south of Dodgeville has produced quality specimens. Spring is the ideal time to search after winter rains have washed away dirt covering stones.

Places Labradorite has been found by County

After discussing our top picks, we wanted to discuss the other places on our list. Below is a list of the additional locations along with a breakdown of each place by county.