Moonstone
From the Romans to the Hippies everyone loved a little moonstone.
I think I’d rather have a moon made of moonstone than one made of cheese. That is saying a lot because I can really put away some brie. Sometimes though, you just want a gemstone that reminds you of the gazing up at that shimmering light in the night’s sky.
Moonstone is a type of feldspar like its cousin labradorite. (You wouldn’t have to twist my arm to go to the feldspar family reunions.) It is a white or colorless gem with blue undertones that seems to radiate light from within. This floating, cloud-like glow is called adularescence and it gives moonstone the ethereal sheen for which it is coveted. Adularescence occurs because of light diffraction hitting thin layers of minerals within the gem.
Moonstone gets its name from this adularescence which causes the gem to gleam like the, well, the moon. Much of the time moonstone is cut into cabochons in order to show off its adularescence. Occasionally, a cabochon will reveal a cat’s eye or occasionally a four-legged star.
The most coveted moonstone is almost transparent and colorless, but has an intense blue sheen to it. Unfortunately, these stones have been mined out. Now they must be purchased from other collectors or dealers, which brings a fun twist to the phrase, “I’ve got to go meet my…
