Larvikite Gemstone Beads

Frequently asked questions

• What is Larvikite, and where does it come from?

  Larvikite is a monzonite — an igneous rock dominated by feldspar — quarried in and around the town of Larvik in southern Norway, in the geological region called the Oslo Rift. It cooled from magma roughly 298 million years ago. The dark gray-to-black base is the rock's feldspar mineralogy; the silver-blue flash is light reflecting off thin lamellae within the feldspar crystals. Larvikite is Norway's national stone.
• Is Larvikite the same as black moonstone or black labradorite?

  No — Larvikite is a different rock geologically, but the bead trade frequently sells it under both nicknames because the silver-blue schiller resembles the optical effects in moonstone and labradorite. Designers searching "black moonstone beads" or "black labradorite beads" are usually looking for Larvikite. True black moonstone (a darker variety of orthoclase moonstone) and labradorite (a calcium-rich feldspar) are different stones with different geological origins. Larvikite is monzonite from Norway.
• Is Larvikite dyed or treated?

  No — Larvikite is sold natural. The dark base and the silver-blue schiller are both intrinsic to the rock. The schiller comes from light reflecting off internal feldspar lamellae, not from any surface coating or color treatment. Every Larvikite strand in Dakota's catalog is untreated.
• How durable is Larvikite for jewelry?

  Larvikite is roughly Mohs 6 to 6.5 — durable enough for necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, and suitable for rings with normal care. It's slightly softer than agate or jasper, so it's worth avoiding heavy abrasion against harder stones in mixed-strand designs. Standard care: soft cloth with mild soap; avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaning to protect the feldspar structure.
• Why does Larvikite show a blue flash on some beads and not others?

  The silver-blue schiller depends on the angle of the feldspar lamellae inside each bead relative to the light source. As the bead rotates, the flash appears and disappears — and beads cut from different parts of the same rough can show stronger or weaker schiller depending on lamella orientation. This is normal for optical-feldspar stones (labradorite and moonstone behave the same way). Stronger-schiller strands cost the same as weaker-schiller strands; the variation is part of working with a natural stone.