Labradorite takes its name from Labrador, Canada, where specimens drew European mineralogical attention in the late eighteenth century. The stone became prized in lapidary and decorative work because careful orientation and polishing reveal labradorescence—a directional iridescent schiller produced by its internal feldspar structure. Finnish material showing a broad, vivid spectrum is marketed as spectrolite. Labradorite is now cut into cabochons, beads, carvings, inlay, and display pieces.

In modern crystal-working traditions, labradorite is commonly used as a symbol of transformation, intuition, protection, imagination, and dreamwork. Its dark body and shifting internal color make it a natural visual metaphor for hidden potential becoming visible when perspective changes. Practitioners may hold it during meditation, place it beside a dream journal, include it in divination or boundary work, or use it as a focus for navigating change.