Gemstone :
Rainbow Moonstone

Birthstone Month :
Moonstone is associated with the birthstone month of June.

Zodiac :
Moonstone is not associated with any particular Zodiac sign.

Chemical Symbol :
KAlSi3O8

Chemical Make-up :
Moonstone is a gem variety of orthoclase feldspar, known as potassium Aluminum silicate.

History & Lore :
A symbolic substitute for the name Moonstone is “Selenite”, relating to the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene. Moonstone was popular with the Romans, believing it was formed out of the Moonlight.

In India it is considered to be a sacred and magical stone, bringing about pleasant and beautiful dreams and appreciated as a “dream stone.”

Moonstone was incorporated in the well-known classic Wilkie Collins novel “The Moonstone.” Collins was a friend and colleague of Charles Dickens and his 1868 novel “The Moonstone” remains to this day a masterpiece of English literature.

Moonstone was a favorite a hundred years ago during the Art Nouveau era. It had been used by the famous French Master Goldsmith Rene Lalique on numerous of his jewelry creations. These special creations can now only be found in museums or in collections.

Moonstone is associated with the heart chakra. It is said to enhance passion, sensitivity, intuition, physical abilities, and is said to bring good fortune. Moonstone is a stone of protection, protecting women and children, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth. Physically, it is said to aid the wearer's pituitary gland and aid digestive system and also to fight against obesity. The moonstone is also said to calm emotions and ease hormonal and menstrual problems.

Availability :
Moonstone was once extremely popular, particularly in the time of Art Nouveau about a hundred years ago. Also in recent years it has seen an increase in demand, unfortunately Moonstone, particularly fine Moonstone, is becoming increasingly rare.

Sources :
The valued bluish and nearly transparent Moonstones are most often found in Sri Lanka. There are also known deposits of Moonstones in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Switzerland, Tanzania, and the United States.

Evaluation :
Being that Moonstones are rated at a 6 on Moh's Scale of Hardness, special care should be taken well wearing and
well cleaning the stone because of tits fragility. That being said, small damages that may occur after prolonged usage can be corrected somewhat easily. This can be accomplished by having a jeweler polish the stone in such a way that will regain its adularescence. Rainbow Moonstones are in fact colorless but exhibit a beautiful blue sheen and a rainbow-array of colors due to its schiller, or in relation to Moonstone, it's adularescence. The origin of this phenomenal feature is its interior crystal structure. Orthoclase feldspar and albite are found in close association, arranged in layers. The incoming rays of light are reflected inside the stone and scattered.

The most valuable of Rainbow Moonstones are larger stones that exhibit strong adularescence and transparency with an intense blue sheen. Moonstones are become increasingly rare and because of this increasingly valuable which can make for a great gemstone investment.

Common Cuts :
The phenomenon that gives this gemstone its importance is its schiller, which in relation with Moonstone has been given the name adularescence. The origin of this phenomenal feature is its interior crystal structure. Orthoclase feldspar and Albite are often found in close association, arranged in layers. The incoming rays of light are reflected inside the stone and scattered.

For this reason, classical Moonstones are always cut in a smooth-domed oval cabochon shape to maximize the adularescence. Sometimes Moonstones can also be found carved with a moon face.

Routine Enhancements :
Rainbow Moonstone has no known enhancement.

Care & Cleaning :
Moonstone jewelry can be cleaned in warm water with a mild detergent and a soft brush. As with most gemstones, Moonstone should be kept away from exposure to excessive heat and household chemicals, which can cause the stone to erode or cause color change. Moonstone jewelry should be stored separately, or away from other jewelry items in a fabric-lined box so as to avoid chipping, cracking, and scratching.