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Healing Crystal Moonstone

PHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MOON STONE

  • December 28, 2018
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PHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MOON STONE

The name moonstone is used as a trade name, to designate a mineral from the group of silicates and the family of feldspars. It is more precisely a variety of orthoclase which, when it is in the form of pure crystals, is called adular. Orthoses have the formula: K [Al Si3 O8]. Moonstone has a hardness of 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and a density of between 2.53 and 2.6. It is a transparent to translucent stone, with a vitreous and pearly luster, a conchoidal or sketchy break. It comes in crystals, pieces or aggregates grained, mostly coarse. Its luminescence is variable according to the color (bluish or orange) but remains weak.

COLORS OF THE MOON STONE

Moonstone is usually colorless, but it can be white or have bluish shades. It is characterized by the famous reflection of a silvery blue, which gives the impression of sliding on the surface of the stone according to the movements that are printed to it. It is this optical phenomenon that is called adularescence. Beware, the gemstone called “Rainbow Moon Stone” is actually a variety of labradorite, another mineral. The Royal Blue Moon Stone has a beautiful transparency and bright blue reflections. The variety of Sri Lanka is pale blue that of India shows a cloudy texture on a beige-brown to orange background.

THE MAIN DEPOSITS OF PIERRE DE LUNE

Moonstone is formed in plutonic and alkaline rocks, particularly in granitic pegmatites, as well as in metamorphic rocks, and sometimes in hydrothermal veins.

The exploited deposits are mainly in India and Sri Lanka, but they are also found in the United States, Madagascar, Burma, Australia and Brazil, as well as in Tanzania.

THE ADVICE OF OUR GEMOLOGIST: HOW TO CHOOSE THE MOON STONE?

To merit this poetic appellation of Moonstone, the adular must have a color devoid of yellowish tones, but instead have rich blue and silver reflections. The most beautiful gems have become quite rare and their price tends to increase. They show a very beautiful depth and clarity. The varieties “cat’s eye” (a transverse reflection) or “star” (several reflections arranged in asterisk) are very rare. The size is almost always in the form of cabochon, whose orientation is chosen to reveal all the splendor of the reflections of the gem. It is necessary to avoid all friction with abrasive materials because the stone of Moon is easily scratched.

METALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOON STONE JEWELERY

Most jewelry with a moonstone is silver jewelry or white gold jewelry, because these metals in soft tones and rather cold harmonize perfectly with the lunar evocation of the gem and allow him to reveal all its discrete beauty.

STORIES AND LEGENDS AROUND THE MOON STONE

The Moonstone, so named because of its color, a milky white tinged with blue, like the nocturnal star, is sometimes called hecatolite: it refers to the Greek goddess Hecate, one of the three lunar goddesses. His companions are Artemis and Selene: the latter gave the name to another rock, selenite, which is a variety of translucent gypsum colorless to whitish. The Sanskrit name for the Moon Stone, “chandrakant”, means “beloved of the moon”…

In the Middle East, women wore moon stone to increase their fertility. In the West, in the middle Ages, some thought that couples of lovers could have a vision of their future if they placed a Moon stone in their mouth…

The Moon stones that adorn the threshold of Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka have nothing to do with our mineral, contrary to what we can sometimes read: they are carved friezes arranged in semicircles which symbolize the gradual access to knowledge and nirvana.

A legend tells that Pope Leo X had a Moon Stone that changed color, going from white to blue following the phases of the Moon!

Moonstone was often used at the time of the emergence of Art Nouveau, for decorative objects, including Lalique, which still makes jewelry with this gem.

VIRTUES AND BENEFITS OF THE MOON STONE

Moon stone has been associated in all cultures with the feminine principle, called Yin in Chinese medicine, as the Moon is the female star, while the Sun symbolizes the male principle. It represents the light that reassures in the darkness.

In lithotherapy, it would have healing properties against female disorders (inconvenience of menopause, infertility, menstrual pain …). It would promote eroticism and marital happiness. It would increase intuition, essentially feminine quality, as well as softness and tenderness, and develop tolerance. It would promote the full development of maternal love and soften the temperament of people a little too severe…

The Moon Stone would bring happiness and reduce the risk of accident. It would be for that the asset of the travelers.

ASTROLOGICAL MATCHES OF THE MOON STONE

The Moonstone would be associated with the signs of Pisces, Capricorn, Cancer, and Aquarius. It would correspond to Monday and the planet Uranus. Moonstone is the birthstone of people born in June, and its lucky character would make it a nice gift for … the lily of the valley wedding (13 years old!).

Properties of Opal

Moonstone Meaning and uses

MOONSTONE Meaning and Uses

  • January 19, 2018
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Healing Crystal Moonstone Meaning and Uses | Gemstone Meaning

First name

It is also known as Selenite or Adularia, the Moonstone owes its name to its resemblance to the moon. The term Selenite is derived from the Greek “Selene”, which means moon and which in Greek mythology is also the name of the moon goddess. Adularia is the name of a variety of Moonstone native to the European Alps, and from that name derives the name that is given to the optical effect that shows the Moonstone, called “adularity”. In the Hindi language the Moonstone is called “chandrakant”, that is, “the favorite of the moon” and derives from the Sanskrit “chandra” (moon) and “kanta” (favorite).

Chemical composition of Moonstone

The Moonstone is a potassium silicate belonging to the feldspar family, a name that derives from the German “feldspar” and means “fieldstone” for its ability to enrich the soil with fertilizer substances for vegetation. The feldspar is a family of minerals particularly known for its gems, which present beautiful optical phenomena with modularity, adventure science or labradorescencia. Its two subgroups are plagioclase and potassium. The first group is characterized by the percentage of calcium and sodium and comprises most of the gems. The precious stones that belong to the potassium group have in common the chemical composition, but they point out a different crystalline structure. It is important to remember that many feldspar gems are similar, sometimes even confused by gemologists because of their similar chemical composition. The Moonstone, for example, It is closely linked to Labradorite and Sunstone.

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Extraction of the Moonstone

The deposits of Piedra de Luna are few and isolated. They are found in Brazil, Burma, the European Alps, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the USA, which makes it a rare gem. Sri Lanka is famous for being the main producer of Piedra de Luna of superior quality, almost transparent and with a strong blue brightness. Most of the Moonstone extracted in Sri Lanka comes from the famous Meetiyagoda mine in the south of the island, but it is also extracted in Dumbara, Tissamaharama, and Imbulpe. Although Meetiyagoda has been active for more than 50 years, the still active deposits are scarce. Therefore, although this gem belongs to the most abundant mineral group on earth, in reality, it is very rare as Precious Stone.

The Moonstone found in Tanzania is a relatively new variety; it is extracted in the Arusha region, where Tanzanite is also extracted.

History, traditions, and beliefs of the Moonstone

Many are the traditions and legends that feature this wonderful gem, from ancient India, where it was believed that the four-armed Hindu goddess had a Moonstone on her forehead, as a representation of the Moon itself. By superstition and after its particular colors, it was supposed that whoever possessed it would obtain the beneficent divine influence. Also in the West the Moonstone has been much loved and precious: the ancients believed that it was composed of small elements of the moon and that its internal light would be the light of a positive deity, present in the gem. In ancient Rome, it was thought that according to the various lunar phases the Moonstone changed its appearance and that at a certain moment it was possible to glimpse the image of the goddess Diana inside it. A medieval legend affirms that who had fallen asleep after having seen a Moonstone would have enjoyed the faculties of a fortune-teller. Since always look like a female gem and “goddess”, therefore it is not surprising that in mythology the art of guessing was traditionally taken by a female art par excellence.

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Along with these traditions, the Moonstone has been associated with the most powerful and positive emotion: love. As a symbol of the “third eye”, the Moonstone would be able to balance yin and Yang, protect from epilepsy and ensure a good harvest. For the crystal, therapy is a gem that would help men to approach their female part.

Characteristics of the Moonstone

The Moonstone comes in a wide variety of colors, including brown, colorless, green, gray, pink, rainbow, white and yellow. It has a brightness that goes from silver to blue, varies from semi-translucent to translucent and often displays a high luminosity. The most sought-after specimens of Piedra de Luna are characterized by their intense blue shine that slides on the surface of the gem when the angle of observation varies, a high purity and a colorless background. In general terms, the more intense the blue brightness and the greater its transparency, the higher the value – and the price – of the Moonstone.

Variety of Moonstone

The Moonstone Rainbow has a wonderful adularity of an intense blue. It is a variety of feldspar with the same composition as Labradorite. It is extracted mainly in Sri Lanka and its characteristic resides in the exceptional clarity of its crystals.

The Labradorite owes its name to the Labrador Peninsula, in Canada, where it was discovered for the first time. It is plagioclase feldspar that is also extracted in China, India, and Madagascar. It is also found in transparent specimens, (usually red, orange, yellow or colorless) and with a spectacular adularity, in this case, called “labradorescencia”.

The Piedra Del Sol is plagioclase feldspar typically yellow, pink, orange, red or colorless. Its most important attribute is the adventure scene that is the beautiful effect of “sunlight” produced by tiny metallic inclusions. It is extracted mainly in India, Madagascar and the USA. The Stone of the Sun was coveted in a distant time because of its supposed power to guide in the journey of life to those who carried it with them.