The gemstone with the bluish-white shimmer
overview
- Naming : The moonstone gets its name from its resemblance to the brightly lit surface of the moon – its special shimmer is reminiscent of moonlight.
- Mineral group: Moonstone belongs to the rock group of feldspars (potassium feldspars), is a representative of the mineral class of silicates and a variety of orthoclase (adular).
- Color: The colors of the moonstone are colorless, white, brownish or bluish with a bluish or whitish shimmer. Occasionally there are also dark variants of the moonstone. The elegant bluish-white sheen that comes through the cabochon cut is desirable.
- Cut : Moonstones are usually cut into cabochons, as this cut brings out the gemstone's shine most impressively.
- Special feature : Moonstone is used exclusively as a gemstone. However, moonstones of jewelry quality are extremely rare. In addition, with a relatively low Mohs hardness of 6 to 6.5 and complete cleavage, it is extremely sensitive to pressure.
Quality factors
Color
The most valuable moonstones are those with a bluish-white sheen.
carat
0.2 grams correspond to one carat – the unit of weight for gemstones. The higher the carat number, the more valuable the moonstone is.
purity
Moonstones without inclusions are particularly valuable and sought after. The shimmer is most impressive when the gemstone is translucent and transparent.
cut
The quality of the cut is a major criterion for the value of the gemstone. The most popular cut of moonstone is the cabochon cut.
Special color effects
The elegant bluish-white sheen, which is best displayed in the cabochon cut, is highly sought after.
The special shimmer is called adularescence because it always looks different when the gemstone is moved. The shimmer can be explained by the embedded albite layers, which look bluish-white when light is refracted and scattered.
It was once believed that the waxing and waning phases of the moon could be read from the moonstone.
When the light beam is directed, the so-called cat's eye effect (chatoyance) can be observed.
A blue light streak in the moonstone is more desirable than a white one and a dark moonstone is more desirable than a light one. Its streak color is white and its luster is described as vitreous to mother-of-pearl.
Special moonstones
The Greatest
Moonstones often come in large sizes. One of the largest moonstones in particularly fine quality with adularescence comes from Tanzania and weighs 107.84 carats.
Special occasions
birthstone
Moonstone is the gemstone of the month of June – along with pearls and alexandrite.
occurrence of moonstone
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is considered the most important place of origin of moonstone. The moonstones mined there usually have a transparent to milky-white appearance with a bluish sheen.
India
The gemstone is also mined in India. The moonstone mined there has a comparatively cloudy base tone with a hint of orange. Cloud-like light and shadow effects can also occur on a green, beige-brown, orange or brown background.
other occurrences
Brazil, Madagascar, Australia, Burma, the USA, Myanmar and Tanzania.
jewelry with moonstone
Moonstone is a popular gemstone that is used in a variety of beautiful creations.
If you also want a unique piece of jewelry with the gemstone with the special shimmer, just talk to us.
Further articles
The white labradorite gemstone – also called rainbow moonstone – is very similar to moonstone in color.
To the article – Labradoritejewelry collections
Gemstones in the Lexicon
Optical Effects in the Lexicon
Our values
