The Moonstone is a gorgeous gem with a history of magic & spirituality. This elegant treasure of nature carries a sensual and seductive aura. It is surrounded by a great deal of mystique. The gemstone has delighted designers & gem connoisseurs for centuries.
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The gemstone is renowned for the mesmerizing play of light on its surface. The mysterious shimmer always looks different when the stone is moved. The phenomenon is known as ‘adularescence’. In fact, Moonstone is named after this frolicking light because it creates an illusion akin to the phases of the moon.
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What causes adularescence? |
To understand adularescence we have to understand the chemical composition of the gemstone.
Moonstone is a strain of the feldspar group of minerals. Orthoclase and Albite are the two minerals that make it. The two minerals intermingle during early stage of formation. As the formation continues, the inter-grown orthoclase and albite separate and stack into distinct alternate layers of microscopic mineral prisms.
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The tiny crystalline prisms catch the incident light and cause it to bounce back and forth. The alternating layers of orthoclase & albite scatter and diffract this light. Consequently, the emerging light reflects the colors of constituent minerals. What you get as a result is not the flashing, bright brilliance of faceted jewelry. Rather, it is a soft glowing brilliance; called adularescence. It imparts an uncanny moon like glow to the gemstone.
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Factors Determining Value Of Moonstone: |
Under its color attribute three especially relevant factors determine the price of this gemstone. The body color, the color of its sheen (or adularescence) and orientation of the sheen are the three important characteristics. Best specimens have a near-transparent and nearly-colorless body color. They exhibit a glassy appearance. Furthermore, the best specimens are free of unpleasant yellowish, brownish or green tints.
The sheen should be centered on the top of the stone. Also, it should be visible from a wide range of viewing angles. Restricted viewing angles reduce the value of a stone. Ideally, the adularescence should be haunting sky-blue which billows across the dome of a stone as it is moved against the light. The most appealing aspect of adularescence is the appearance of motion. The misty light seems to roll across the surface of the gem as you alter the viewing angle.
This beautiful shimmer of light is apparent even in the rough form of gemstone. A quality cut maximizes this property.
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Blue sheen against a colorless background is a prized combination in moonstones. Nevertheless, it can occur in a wide range of colors, including white, yellow, orange, green, gray, mocha brown, blue & pink. White to bluish-white sheen is more frequently exhibited. Other sheens such as silvery or blue-orange can also occur.
Along with adularescence, some moonstones display chatoyancy. These are known as ‘cat’s eye moonstone’. Certain rare varieties occur with an effect known as asterism (showing four rayed stars).These are referred to as ‘star moonstone’. Cat’s eye and star moonstones are extraordinarily rare and highly sought-after.
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Clarity: |
Moonstones can range in appearance from semitransparent to opaque. But they usually occur with translucent clarity. Good stones should be nearly transparent. Inclusions should be minimum since they have the potential to reduce adularescence.
Commonly noticed inclusions are called centipedes. These are tiny tension cracks inside the gemstone. The inclusions look like those creepy creatures with numerous legs and hence the name.
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Cut: |
A cabochon cut with a high dome maximizes adularescence. The cutter must also align the axes of the crystal precisely into the zenith of the stone. It displays the phenomenal effect to the best advantage. Because of this reason, most good quality moonstones are cut into cabochons. Flat profiles are avoided because they do not display the sheen well and hold little value.
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Moonstones can be shaped into beads from suitable rough material for stranding into necklaces or bracelets.
They are also carved into faceted stones. This cut amplifies brilliance and manages to hide inclusions that might be present.
It is a popular stone for carving into decorative jewelry elements. It is crafted into artistic cameos or the popular “man-in-the-moon” face that plays on the gem’s name.
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Carat Weight: |
Moonstones come in a variety of carat weights and sizes. Quality rough in larger size is becoming increasingly scarce. A Large fine moonstone is very rare, making it relatively valuable.
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Legends And Folklore: |
Few gemstones have been able to gather folklore, mystique and magic as much as the moonstone. The gem has been revered by age-old cultures all over the world.
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A Hindu legend conjectures moonstone to be formed from moonbeams. The ancient Romans presumed that moonstone with its unearthly shimmer was frozen moonlight. Once upon a time, people believed that you could see your future by holding this gem in your mouth during a full moon. Even today, the gem is regarded as a sacred stone in India. It is popularly believed to bring good fortune to those wearing it.
Arabs used to sew this gem into their undergarments. The stone was regarded to be an emblem of fertility.
Lovers believe that Moonstones arouse passion & tender thoughts and covet the gem. Couples possessing the gemstone could supposedly foretell their future life together.
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Moonstone is the official birthstone for June and is associated with the zodiacal sign of Pisces.
It is the official state gem of Florida. United States astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Kennedy Space Center in Florida launched this spaceflight. The Florida legislature sought to commemorate this “giant step” for humankind. In 1970, lawmakers adopted the moonstone as the official state gem. It is noteworthy here that Moonstone is found neither in Florida nor on moon.
A moonstone seems to ooze silvery light from within its body. Unsurprisingly, the gem has always been associated with the moon. Also, we humans are using this charismatic stone as an amulet for protection, fertility, love and sleep.
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Eastern Symbolism:
Eastern cultures recognise ‘lighted’ gems like moonstones to be harbingers of good luck. Moreover, the stone displays an ever-shifting white reflection prancing on the gem-surface. It is called adularescence and it is conjectured to be a powerful good spirit dwelling within the stone.
Indians considered moonstone to be sacred. Gem-dealers always displayed it nestled on a yellow-colored cloth as yellow cloth too was considered sacred.
An extant belief stated that the gemstone had a soothing effect on the conscience. Coupled with the constant movement of light, this helped one to go into a state of trance. As such, esoterics use it as an aid to meditation.
Numerous Symbolisms are Attached to This Stone:
The name says it all. Since time immemorial, we have associated moonstone with the moon. For this reason many consider it as an alternate birthstone for people born on Monday. Afterall, Monday is the day of the moon.
We all understand that the moon affects water bodies on our planet to cause tides. Due to this, a number of seafarers think of the moonstone as a great talisman for their voyages at sea.
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This beautiful gemstone does have one weak point. It has a relatively low hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale. As such, moonstones should be handled with care, for they are sensitive.
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