Moonstone
One of the most enchanting gemstones that can be naturally derived is the moonstone, which is popularly characterized with its ability to present a captivating play of lights. This particular mineral derived its name from the ancient belief that they can easily identify the waning and changing phases of the moon by simply looking into it. However, this can be merely attributed to the stone’s ability to shimmer when moved and rotated against the light, or what is technically known as “adularescence” in the jewelry trade.
Moonstones were said to be initially discovered in Sri Lanka, which has a distinct pale blue color with an wonderfully translucent background. Some specimens found in India are more prevalently seen with a seemingly nebulous interplay of shadow and light along with a rich orange or brown background. Such unique characteristic and exceptional shimmer makes moonstone an ideal jewelry item for the female specie, since it uncannily gives off that sensual and beautiful feminine aura you cant possibly find in other types of gemstones. However, aside from the exceptional beauty of moonstone jewelry pieces, it has also been long shrouded with magic and mystique all throughout the centuries. In some Asian cultures, moonstones are generally regarded as a holy and magical gemstone or more aptly named “ dreamstones” that were once believed to allow the wearer to have wonderful visions at night. In Saudi Arabia, all women wear moonstones as a sign of fertility, and are expertly sewn out of sight to enhance its efficacy. In some areas in the world, the stone symbolizes romance and love and was often regarded as the ‘lover’s stone” and were said to evoke more tender feelings and preserving the joys of love.
Moonstone falls under the mineral group called feldspars, which actually accounts to 2/3 of the rocks that are found on Earth. In its raw and uncut state, a moonstone is not particularly attractive and an uncultured eye could never discern the beauty that lies beneath. The well-known moonstone shimmer is not really shown in full advantage until it is expertly cut and polished to perfection. In order to bring out that famous light effect, expert cutters must carefully align the right axes of the crystals with precision into the very apex of the stone. Otherwise, an untrained cut can potentially risk ruining a perfectly good piece of gemstone.
However, despite its astounding beauty, this gemstone has one main drawback: its low strength and hardness rating only a measly 6 in Mohs scale. In view of such reasons, moonstones are among the fragile stones that should be handled with care in order to maintain its grand beauty. When shopping for moonstones, you will probably be perplexed with the incredulous price difference of one piece from the other. Among the major factors that significantly affect the value of moonstones are the transparency, intensity in color and the size. The rich blue varieties are considered to be the most-prized since it has the ability to display that wonderful 3-dimensional color depth, which could only be recognized if its moved against the light. The moonstones from India are considerably cheaper mainly because these are not considered to be of high quality. With this huge price variance, people can chose which type could best meet their budget or suit their preferences.
Today, moonstone gems are readily incorporated in stunning designs of jewelry pieces, from brooches, bracelets and rings. So don’t hesitate to get one of your own and enjoy those admiring glances that will definitely come your way wearing your shimmering moonstone jewelry piece. It will definitely look especially wonderful on women who wants to truly celebrate the joys of being feminine!