What is moonstone?
Moonstone is usually colorless to white, transparent or translucent, and is named for its special moonlight effect. Known as the lover’s stone, moonstone is a symbol of friendship and love, making it a perfect gift for a loved one; it is also the June birthstone, symbolizing health, wealth and longevity.
The moonstone birthstone: a June birthstone
“What is my birthstone” is a common internet search. The list of birthstones by month was officially composed by the Jewelers of America in 1912. If you’re a Gemini, born between May 21- Juin 21, you’re in luck: you might be drawn to this beautiful stone, a gift from the goddess of the moon to humankind, as it is one of the three June birthstones, the other two being pearls and alexandrite.
Moonstone benefits
- Stabilizing your mind and soothing mood swings;
- Improving the quality of sleep;
- Helping to attract romance or increase intimacy;
- Preventing diseases, as it is associated with the solar plexus chakra.
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Legends
In ancient Rome, it was believed that moonstones were formed by moonlight and that the shadow of Diana, the goddess of moonlight, could be seen in them. The ancient Greeks considered this stone to be a symbol of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, with emerald being another love stone of Venus.
They are convinced that moonstones are very powerful during the full moon and can give the wearer a sixth sense. It is also known as the “prophecy stone” because it enhances the ability to foretell the future, and the “traveler’s stone” because of its ability to protect those who travel.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that gazing at the moonstone would make a person fall asleep and allow him or her to foretell the future from dreams.
In East Indian legend, the moonstone is the symbol of the third eye and is able to purify the spirit. In addition, they also have a mythology that the moonstone can bring good luck.
During the Art Nouveau period in the 19th century, moonstone was loved by artisans.
To this day, in certain Arabian countries, moonstones are often sewn into clothing as a symbol of wealth. In modern India, moonstones are still considered a sacred symbol and are known as the dream stone because they can give the wearer beautiful visions at night.
In deed, apart from legends, moonstone is classified as one of the most magical gems, due to its special luster and smooth texture. All in all, everyone loves moonstones!
Moonstone properties
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Moonstone is a mineral produced by the layered interaction of orthoclase feldspar and sodium feldspar. They are mostly transparent or translucent, with a hardness of 6.5-6/10, refractive index of 1.52-1.53 and specific gravity of 2.57.
The moonlight-like sheen
The moonstone crystal is named for their special moonlight-like sheen, i.e. a white, silver, blue or rainbow glow on the surface.
This is due to the fact that the layered cryptocrystals of the two feldspars intersect each other in parallel but have slightly different refractive indices, so they scatter visible light, sometimes with interference or diffraction; therefore, the combined effect of feldspars on light produces the unique glows on the moonstone surface.
As one of the most valuable and popular stones on earth, moonstone is mild and pure, with a beautiful glow reminiscent of the bright moon. Its beauty and meanings are what makes it so attractive.
The moonstone color
Moonstones have a wide range of base colors. Besides the common colorless to white moonstone, we can also find yellow moonstone, gray moonstone, brown moonstone, blue moonstone, green moonstone, iridescent moonstone, pink moonstone and black moonstone.
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Types of moonstones
We usually classify moonstones according to their glows instead of base colors.
1. White moonstone
White or silver moonstone with a white glimmer. Due to its large production, white moonstone is common in the market and is relatively cheaper.
2. Blue moonstone
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Blue moonstone is the most valuable variety of moonstone, with a transparent base and a slight blue moonlight-like glimmer. Prices vary depending on the crystal and the intensity of the blue glow.
In comparison, white moonstone is usually white with fewer impurities, while blue moonstone is blue-gray in color with relatively more impurities.
3. Rainbow moonstone
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The glow of rainbow moonstones is yellow, pink, red or green in color, instead of the common white or blue color that we see.
Strictly speaking, the rainbow moonstone is not a moonstone, since it is composed of calcium-sodium plagioclase. However, because the two are very similar (many blue moonstones on the market have a rainbow colored glow), it is nowadays recognized as a moonstone, and merchants often sell these two together.
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4. Gray moonstone
The gray moonstone we are talking about here is what we commercially call gray moonstone, i.e. the gem-quality labradorite. Strictly speaking, it is not a moonstone, which belongs to the potassium feldspar family. It belongs to the plagioclase family.
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Why do we do this? It is because the gray moonstone of the potassium feldspar family is really ugly and has nothing particularly outstanding; instead, the translucent labradorite stone of gem-quality is really beautiful and valuable.
This gray moonstone, known as labradorite, has a mixture of blue, cyan and yellow glow, is gray in color, has impurities, mostly with cracks, and has a special optical effect under certain angles and light sources. Price vary depending on the crystal and the intensity of the glimmer.
In terms of scarcity and aesthetic and economic values, rainbow moonstone > blue moonstone> gray moonstone> white moonstone.
5. Black moonstone
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Black moonstone is a variety of moonstone. It shares the healing properties of other varieties of moonstones and can provide extra protection thanks to its color.
6. The cat’s eye moonstone
In addition to the blue glow, moonstones also have a “chatoyancy” effect, which is often referred to as the “cat’s eye effect”. When we shine a bright light on a cat’s eye moonstone, a thin, bright reflection appears on its surface, which makes it look like a cat’s eye.
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Moonstone meaning: love, friendship, health, longevity and wealth
Moonstones are very beautiful gems. They have always been considered as a gift from the goddess of the moon, i.e. Selene to humankind, with its mysterious and irresistible power.
Therefore, the moonstone is called “the lovers’ stone”, due to the fact that it can evoke emotions and passions inside us. Moonstones are a symbol of friendship and love and are the best gift to give to our lover and friends. It is said that wearing moonstones when the moon is full, helps us meet good lovers.
At the same time, the moonstone is also the birthstone for June, symbolizing health, wealth and longevity.
In the United States, the Indians regard moonstones as a “sacred stone”, a commemorative gemstone for the thirteenth anniversary of marriage.
Moonstone healing properties
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Moonstone emotional healing properties
Moonstone is a mild and delicate stone that can improve your mood and personality, stabilize your mind, make you calm and graceful. It has a calming effect on emotional turmoil and is suitable for meditation.
Moonstone spiritual healing properties
It is said that wearing moonstones when the moon is full, improves our consciousness and the power to feel supernatural forces.
Moonstone physical healing properties
Moonstone corresponds to the solar plexus chakra in the brain and acts on it to prevent diseases such as edema; for women, wearing moonstone jewelry daily can soothe physiological pains (do not wear it during menstruation), regulate your endocrine system and improve fertility. This crystal also has an effect on the digestive system, helping to absorb nutrients, eliminate toxins and prevent aging.
Moonstone is very helpful for sleep. Placing it next to you at night can help you sleep more peacefully, and with good sleep quality, your skin will get better and you will be more energetic during the day. Moonstone is stone full of energy, which can also prevent sleepwalking.
Metaphysical properties of moonstone
Moonstone is a gemstone that represents love, emits a romantic glow and evokes emotions and passions inside us, making it the best gift of affection. Wearing moonstone can attract love, promote the tenderness between lovers, connect their hearts and souls.
In some places the moonstone is also called the “travelers’ stone” because it is believed to have the power to protect travelers at night. In certain Asian countries, it is also used as a symbol of “no tears”.
Production and mining sites
The magical, beautiful and precious moonstone is mainly produced in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Brazil, Mexico and the European Alps, among which Sri Lanka produces the most precious ones.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan moonstones are generally creamy or white, translucent, with a light blue halo (yes, only blue). They are very moist and gives a comfortable feeling. Most of the moonstone crystals from Sri Lanka are large and creamy, with only a few transparent and colorless ones.
Sri Lankan moonstone fluoresces pink when exposed to short-wave ultraviolet light, while under long-wave ultraviolet light, there is no or only a very weak fluorescence.
India
Indian moonstone has a rainbow or blue glow, and are mostly transparent glass-like crystals with visible inclusions and cracks. Moonstones without inclusions or cracks are much more valuable, but the crystal tends to be usually small if you want to remove them.
Therefore, Indian jewelers often cut the stone with cracks inside the crystal for a larger size, so that they can inlaid the stone on rings made of 925 silver, or make beads or large pieces of ore for carving.
Myanmar
Burmese moonstone is usually glassy, high quality but mostly has a weak blue glow (A few have a relatively strong blue light). The blue glow will look more intense when photographed under fluorescent light.
The Burmese like to inlay moonstone with copper and make the jewelry in a simple style, similar to their habit of selling Feicui jadeite. When photographed in natural light after inlaying, we can see that Burmese moonstones have a weak blue light and do not make outstanding jewelry for everyday wear.
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Moonstone cleansing and charging
1. Purify with salt
The standard way to cleanse and purify a moonstone crystal is to use salt.
How do we do it? If you use large grains of salt, then simply put the salt on a plate or dish and then bury the stone within the salt for about 24 hours. Reminder, it can be longer than 24 hours, but not shorter. This is very effective and can last up to 3 months with a single purification, also called 100-day purification.
If we use small grains of salt instead, we need to prepare a liquid in the ratio of 10 grams of kosher salt to 500 grams of water, and put the crystal into the liquid and soak it for 24 hours. Since the small grains of kosher salt are less energetic, you can carry it for about 1 month continuously for one purification.
2. Purify with clear water
Moonstone and its energy come from nature, so we can also use natural methods to help cleanse and purify the stone. Place the stone in a flowing stream or river and rinse it with water for 20 minutes before drying it. If this is not possible, buy a bottle of mineral water and soak the crystal in it for 24 hours. This helps to remove the negative energy.
3. Smudging
To be honest, this is one of the most commonly used method. All that we need to do is simply put the crystal in the room and let the smoke of essential oil, sage or sandalwood ( please remember to use natural essential oil without added chemicals) to work the magic.
4. Charge with a crystal cluster
Cleansing with a crystal cluster is the easiest and most convenient method. The crystal cluster itself has a very strong energy. It can not only purify the stone, but also charge it. All we need to do is to place the stone on the crystal cluster overnight.
5. Charge in the moonlight
On the night of the full moon, place the crystals on a windowsill facing the moon. You can also place them outside if it is safe to do so. If needed, cover them with a glass jar or bowl to provide extra protection. Moonlight will charge the crystals overnight.
Where to buy moonstones?
If you want to buy a moonstone or moonstone jewelry ranging from $0.5-$100, you can check Etsy. You can buy a raw moonstone, moonstone beads or moonstone jewelry, like a moonstone bracelet, a moonstone necklace and a moonstone ring that are affordable and of high quality and have them delivered to your house fast.
Alternatively, if you want to buy high end moonstone jewelry ranging from $100-$2000, you can check Farfetch. They have luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Boucheron, Cartier, Chopard, David Morris, De Beers as well as designer brands that are unique and less well-known. You can also have all the products delivered to your home.
Care and maintenance
Avoid acid and alkali: Moonstone jewellery must not be washed with acid or alkaline liquids; therefore all cosmetics, perfumes, oil stains, etc. should be kept away.
Be careful of rubbing: Moonstones have a hardness of 6-6.5, which is a relatively soft material compared to other gemstones, so it is necessary to avoid friction and collision with hard materials to avoid scratches.
Don’t collide: Moonstones have two sets of complete cleavage inside, which can be easily broken by external forces. Beauty is fragile and needs careful protection.
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