Moonstone |
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Moonstone is a variety of feldspar and the shimmer, which is called schiller or adularescence, is caused by the intergrowth of two different types of feldspar (orthoclase and albite), with different refractive indexes. That's the science bit now for the legend!
The Romans thought that moonstone was formed out of moonlight and to this day in India it is considered a sacred stone.
Moonstones come in a variety of colours. The body colour can range from colourless to grey, brown, yellow, green, or pink. The clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colourless body colour.
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Fine moonstone is quite rare and becoming rarer. It is mined in Sri Lanka and southern India. The rainbow moonstone variety has a cloudy white surface through which an electric blue floating light can be seen as the light moves through the stone. This is likened to the appearance of the moon and is called its schiller. It can also have shafts of rainbow colour. Take a look at our rainbow moonstone pendants to see various examples of this popular semi-precious stone.
Moonstones are usually cut in a smooth-domed cabochon shape to maximize the effect. Sometimes they are carved to show a man-in-the-moon face. Moonstone beads also display the iridescent sheen very well and are simply stunning against a black dress.
Moonstone can be easily scratched as it has a hardness of 6 on the Mohs Scale. Store moonstones carefully and never allow two specimens to touch each other.
Moonstone is endowed with the healing power to align vertebrae and aid digestion. It is also known to soothe and balance the emotions.
Moonstone is the birthstone for June.
Check out our moonstone jewellery!
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