Anurag Finland is well known as a nature lover’s paradise for it’s beautiful forests, lakes, and tundra scenery. But did you know that it also has amazing geology?
The happiest country in the world is made up of multi-billion year old metamorphic rock such as granites and gneisses. This geology has actually had a pretty big impact on Finland’s history!
Because of this, a lot of our favorite minerals and precious gems can be found in Finland such as gold, amethysts, garnets, topaz, diamonds, and the subject of this article aka my new favorite mineral: Spectrolite!
Spectrolite is a variation of Labradorite that is only found in Eastern Finland. Specifically, near the village of Ylamaa. Over there, you can find a little museum dedicated to the mineral called the Ylamaa Gem Village, run by a kind man named Esko Hamaleinen who is actually the former mayor of the village.
The mineral itself is in a category that we geologists call feldspars,
Spectrolite is unique in that it showcases far higher amounts of labradorescence than regular labradorites. We see far more vivid colors, hues of blue to green, with the purest specimens being a shade of deep blue. Mr. Hamaleinen makes
Mr. Hamaleinen
So did I end up here a mile away from the Russian border?
I just rented a car and drove….
Driving in Finland
As an American tourist, I get the privilege of having my drivers license be accepted in Finland without needing an international driving permit. Since it was the middle of March, there was still plenty of ice and snow on the roads and being from Texas I’ve never had to drive in these conditions before. Thankfully my little Kia came with studded tires that let me drive on ice covered back roads as easily as I would on a regular road.
The highways themselves were super clean and ice free and I had no problems on my 2.5 hour drive from Helsinki to Ylamaa.