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PRECIOUS STONES. 217
are
Miolo and Abo, in Finland; in the gabbro of the River Teterev, a
tributary of the Dnieper; and in many places in the United States.
The
material from the United States is largely quarried as an ornamental
stone, but is inferior in brilliance of colour to the Labrador
specimens, and hence is not cut as a gem; for the latter use the
material must show as even a surface of colour as possible, and
therefore must be free from the reversed portions due to twinning. The
stone must be cut too with the exposed surface parallel to the less
perfect cleavage referred to. At one time specimens that showed
peculiar distributions of colour, which by a little imagination might
be regarded as portraits, were in great demand and high prices were
asked for them ; one specimen is recorded to have shown a distinct head
of Louis XVI., and for this £10,000 was asked in 1799. M. de Dree had a
small table, the top of which was composed of two pieces of
Labradorite, that sold for £75.
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