Wyoming rocks are pretty amazing. I’ve spent years hiking around this state, looking down at the ground more than up at the mountains. That’s how I first found labradorite, by accident on a regular weekend trip.

Labradorite hunting in Wyoming is something anyone can do. You don’t need to be a rock expert or have fancy gear. The wide-open spaces of Wyoming make it perfect for finding these colorful stones. They sit there waiting for someone to notice them.

I remember my first piece; it was just sitting there on a dirt path. The sun hit it just right, showing off that blue flash that makes labradorite special. Since then, I’ve found spots all over the state where these rocks show up. This guide will take you to the best Wyoming labradorite hunting spots.

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:

The Buttes

The Buttes in Albany County sits at about 8,245 feet high. This small area has some really interesting rocks and minerals. The land here looks rugged, with many stone formations that have formed over millions of years.

What makes The Buttes special for finding labradorite is the anorthosite rock that’s found here. Anorthosite is a light-colored rock made mostly of feldspar minerals. To find Labradorite, rock collectors often look near the bottom of rock outcrops or in areas where rocks have broken off and tumbled down slopes.

You should also check the areas where the anorthosite is exposed at the surface. Weather and time have helped break down these rocks, making it easier to find loose pieces of labradorite without having to dig too deep.

Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain is located in the southeastern part of the state. This place features rolling grassy hills with rocky outcrops scattered throughout the landscape. The area has a mix of different rock types that formed over long periods of time.

Rocks here include kimberlite, which is famous because it sometimes contains diamonds. These special rock formations make Iron Mountain interesting to both scientists and rock collectors.

You can find labradorite in the feldspar-rich rocks at Iron Mountain. These rocks formed when hot magma cooled slowly deep underground. The best places to search are where these rocks are exposed on the surface.

Local collectors suggest looking in areas where water has eroded the land, revealing fresh rock surfaces. After rainstorms can be a particularly good time to visit, as water washes away dirt and makes the shiny labradorite easier to spot among other rocks.

Shanton Deposit

Shanton Deposit lies within the Laramie Range of Wyoming. This site is part of the Laramie Anorthosite Complex, which formed about 1.4 billion years ago. The deposit contains mostly anorthosite, a light-colored rock made almost entirely of feldspar minerals.

Labradorite at Shanton Deposit occurs mainly in the layered anorthosite sections. The best spots to look are near eroded benches close to pegmatite veins. These areas often show signs of feldspar cleavage (flat, shiny surfaces) and have mica minerals nearby.

Another good hunting ground is in shallow surface areas where rain and freezing-thawing cycles have loosened rock fragments. These natural processes help expose labradorite crystals without requiring much digging.

The contrast between dark rock and the shimmering labradorite makes specimens from this area particularly striking.

North Sybille Creek

North Sybille Creek runs through a region with very old rock formations in Wyoming. The area features Archean granitic gneiss (striped rocks over 2.5 billion years old) and younger mafic dikes (dark rock that once was molten). These diverse rock types create a landscape that draws many rock collectors.

Several spots make searching for labradorite easier in this area. Sybille Canyon along Wyoming Highway 34 has rock cuts where anorthosite is exposed right next to the road. These roadcuts let you see fresh rock surfaces without climbing or digging.

The Sybille Quarry (also called Sybille Pit) is another good spot. Here, mining activities have already broken up much of the rock, making it easier to find loose pieces of labradorite.

Chugwater Area

Chugwater is a small town with about 200 residents. The town gets its name from the Chugwater Formation, red rocks that stand out in the landscape. These red rocks formed during the Triassic period, roughly 250 to 200 million years ago.

The red color comes from iron minerals that rusted when exposed to air. You can see ripple marks and mud cracks in these rocks, showing they once formed in shallow water that dried up. The formation also contains gypsum veins running through it.

Labradorite hunters should explore the areas near the Chugwater Formation’s outcrops. The best hunting grounds are often where different rock types meet each other. Look for eroded hillsides and natural cuts in the land where fresh rock surfaces are exposed.

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.