Moonstone: Over The Moon |
Feldspar is the origin of the moonstone, the birthstone of Gemini, and the 13th wedding anniversary stone. Milky white moonstone has a beautiful iridesence, and it also comes in colors of white, brown, gray, orange, green, yellow, peach, pink, white and colorless. It is adularia, the most valuable variety of feldspar, of which nearly two thirds of the rocks on the earth consist. Its silvery or bluish opalescence is known as "schiller" or "adularescence." The most prized moonstone is colorless with a blue shimmer and perfect clarity.
The "schiller" is caused by the intergrowth of two different varieties of feldspar, and light rays are refracted and scattered in the moonstone. The stone is composed of orthoclase feldspar and albite. During the Art Nouveau era it was very popular, and the French goldsmith Rene Lalique used it in many of his creations. Rainbow moonstone has a sheen of rainbow colors and is quite rare. Moonstones will also pick up the color of whatever clothing is worn.
Its clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. The Romans thought it originated from moonlight, thus its name, and it dates back to 100AD It is also known as "selenite" from the Greek word "selene" which means moon.
This stone only rates 6 in hardness on the Mohl's scale of hardness, so can be scratched very easily. Dealers and collectors keep their items separated to prevent this. After much wear the stones sometimes achieve a matt finish as well as tiny flaws, but re-polishing by a jeweler.can remedy these.
Sri Lanka produces moonstone of the highest quality, and it is also found in Tamnzania, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, the European Alps, Mexico and in the United States. in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The term moonstone has also been applied to feldspar's laboratories and persist rite as they also have an iridescence.
As a talisman the moonstone is thought to promote love; balance ying and yang; evoke intuition and the subconscious; and align vertebrae. It has always had an aura of mysticism and magic. The people of India still believe it is a sacred stone, and that it will bring beautiful visions to the wearer. The Arabians sometimes wear it in their clothing as it is believed to promote fertility. It is used in rings, pendants, bead necklaces, and ornaments; and often cut as domed cabochons; intricate cameos portraying children or adults; or items resembling the moon. Some have an appearance similar to a cat's eye with four ray spokes, requiring a cutter to be extremely careful to highlight this feature.