MOONSTONE

Popular with the Romans, who thought it was formed out of moonlight, and in India, where it is considered a sacred zodiac gem, Moonstone is one of the most coveted varieties of Feldspar. Other names for Moonstone include Adularia (a variety found in the European Alps near the Adula Group) and Selenite (from the Greek "selene," meaning moon).

Legend and lore

Laced with superstitions, suspicion, humor and romance, the earliest known traditions describe Moonstone as having been set in the forehead of a four-handed Indian god who represented the moon. Partly from its unique color, partly from a superstition that represented it as feeling the influence of the deity whom it adorned, it first gained the name by which it continues to be known today in ancient India.

The gem's modern western roots allegedly originate from the German word "mondstein," (Moonstone) that was used to describe a lustrous variety of Feldspar in the late 18th century.

This gem has always been revered because of its lunar attraction. In antiquity, Moonstone was believed to be the solidified rays of the moon and the glimmering light within was thought to be the light of the good spirit that lived within the gem. In ancient Rome, Moonstones were thought to change their appearance depending on the waning phases of the moon. They also thought that a picture of Diana, the goddess of the moon, could be seen in every Moonstone.

In the Middle Ages, people thought that if you fell into a deep sleep after gazing into a Moonstone it would tell you the future. It has always been considered a feminine or "Goddess" gem. One Asian legend points out that where there is a moon there is no rain and so the name Moonstone means "no tears."

Moonstone is a highly prized gift for lovers as it is believed to arouse tender passion. According to another legend, a Moonstone placed in the mouth while the moon is full gives lovers the power to read their futures together. In antiquity, men also used Moonstone to predict the future by placing them in their mouths.

A symbol of the third eye, Moonstone was once believed to balance yin/yang, protect against epilepsy and sun stroke, cure headaches and nose bleeds, and ensure a high yield in crops. Today, crystal healers believe that it can help men open their feminine emotional aspects. In some cultures, it is also believed to accentuate the wearer's nature, whether positive or negative.

Just the facts

Moonstone is a potassium-rich orthoclase member of the Feldspar group of minerals and is closely related to Sunstone and Labradorite. The name Feldspar comes from the German "feldt spat," meaning "field stone." This is because when Feldspar weathers, it releases large amounts of plant nutrients, such as potassium, which enrich the soil.

Moonstone shows a blue-whitish opalescence called "adularescence" (sometimes described as a "billowy" light or shimmer) that glides over the surface of the gem. Interference phenomena, due to the intergrowth of two different types of Feldspar with different refractive indexes, from the gem's layered structure are the cause of this effect. Moonstones are often cut as cabochons to maximize this effect.

Traditionally, Moonstone has a silver to blue sheen, a transparent to translucent to opaque clarity and a colorless body color. Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstone possesses all these qualities and as it is quite rare and becoming rarer, it is definitely a "must have" for any jewelry collection. Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstone is laboriously chipped directly from a host deposit in Meetiyaguda, Sri Lanka. Interestingly, Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstone typically displays such a stunning transparent clarity (not usually associated with this gemstone), intense bright blue shimmer and dazzling iridescence (the rainbow-like color effect seen in some gems caused by cracks or structural layers breaking up light into spectral colors) that it can be cut as a faceted gemstone. This is truly unique and further accentuates the desirability of this highly collectible exotic gemstone.

Tanzanian Moonstone is a relatively new variety sourced from the Arusha region of Tanzania (the same region as Tanzanite).