Labradorite: Frozen Fire Within

Jewelry MakingGemstone SpotlightJewelry Care
Written By Michelle Pajak-Reynolds
Detail of labradorescence on Michelle Pajak-Reynolds's Undina Collection: Luna necklace. Photo credit: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Detail of labradorescence on Michelle Pajak-Reynolds's Undina Collection: Luna necklace. Photo credit: Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Coveted for centuries, Labradorite gemstones are full of mystery and wonder.  At first glance, they appear as a beautiful grey stones, then the light hits them and your eyes are delighted with shimmering flashes of peacock-blue, velvety green, and fiery orange.

Eskimo Inuit and Native American Innu of Labrador, Canada, where Labradorite gets its name, tell a beautiful tale about the birth of these gems.  In ancient times, the spectacular phenomena of the Aurora Borealis as we know it today, ethereal dancing colors in shades of blue, green, orange and purple across the night sky, was once trapped inside the stones along Labrador’s shoreline.  An Inuit warrior discovered these rocks and struck them with his spear to release their fiery colors.  The fire that couldn’t be freed remained frozen in the stones and that’s the shimmer of lights, a color flash so unique it was given it’s own name, labradorescence, we see in Labradorite gemstones.

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds's Undina Collection: Luna bracelet handcrafted in labradorite, rock crystal quartz and oxidized recycled sterling silver. Photo credit: Julie Stanley/JuleImages LLC

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds's Undina Collection: Luna bracelet handcrafted in labradorite, rock crystal quartz and oxidized recycled sterling silver. Photo credit: Julie Stanley/JuleImages LLC

Labradorite is available in a variety of styles and sizes.  I’m drawn to the rich grey and warm gray stones cut as faceted beads and love pin-setting them as clusters in oxidized recycled sterling silver.  The lustrous dark grey silver accentuates labradorite’s neutral tones and provides a stunning contrast to the labradorescence. Pin-setting each stone allows the most amount of light to play on the gems.  No two stones are ever alike which makes the color flashes on clusters of labradorite even more striking.

Photo credits: Julie Stanley/JuleImages LLC




Please note, all metaphysical and healing properties listed are collected from a variety of sources and shared for educational, historical and entertainment purposes only. The authors and Michelle Pajak-Reynolds Studios LLC do not guarantee the validity of such statements nor is any of this information meant to treat medical conditions. If you have a medical concern, please consult your medical provider for appropriate treatment options.

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

The creative journey of Michelle Pajak-Reynolds—from childhood spark to timeless, handcrafted treasures.

“My love story with jewelry began before I was born. My parents met across a jewelry counter—my mother, a jewelry department manager; my father, a police officer working loss prevention in his off-duty hours. That moment of serendipity set everything in motion.

By five, I was working on my first designs in pop-beads and jelly bracelets, completely captivated by Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman—especially those iconic power bracelets and her gleaming tiara. I didn’t want to just wear magic, I wanted to make it. With babysitting money and a fierce sense of purpose, I bought beads and wire from the local craft store and taught myself the fundamentals. That curiosity turned into a calling.

I took my first metalsmithing class in high school and never looked back. I went on to earn a BFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Baldwin-Wallace University—equipping me to build a business rooted in craftsmanship, creativity, and soul.

Since founding my namesake jewelry company in 2001, I’ve focused on creating meaningful, one-of-a-kind designs—each one handcrafted using traditional metalsmithing techniques and ethically sourced materials. My work is intimate and intentional: forged in fire, shaped by hand, and designed to stir something deep within you. Every gemstone, every metal, every story that inspires a collection is carefully chosen, researched, and refined. This is slow jewelry with a purpose: to help you mark what matters most.

My pieces have graced red carpets at the Emmy Awards, runways at New York Fashion Week, and exhibitions around the world—including aboard the United Nations Peace Boat. Collectors, stylists, and editors seek out my work, but what means the most to me is when a client says, “This feels like it was made just for me.”

Because it was.

Jewelry, to me, is personal mythology made tangible. It’s a way of preserving the past, celebrating the present, and passing something meaningful into the future. So when you open your jewelry box, you're not just looking at beautiful objects—you're holding pieces of your life’s story. And maybe, just maybe, you're beginning a new chapter.” - Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

michellepajakreynolds.com
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