What is Moonstone? Moonstone is a highly valued, shimmering feldspar mineral known for its powerful healing properties. Historically connected to lunar energy, this mesmerizing gemstone is believed to enhance intuition, promote inspiration, and bring profound success in love and business. When you look into a high-quality moonstone, you can see a mesmerizing blue or white glow that seems to hover just below the surface, an optical phenomenon known as adularescence.

It is said if you give your lover a moonstone necklace when the moon is full you will always have passion with each other. Moonstone is a highly valued gemstone for these reasons:

• Brings good fortune
• Assists in foretelling the future
• Enhances intuition
• Promotes inspiration
• Brings success in love as well as business matters
• Offers protection on land and at sea

The moonstone is associated with the moon and was the stone of the goddess Diana. The most powerful time to use the moonstone is in a full moon.

It has been worn as an amulet to bring good emotions to the wearer, while protecting those of a sensitive nature. It can reunite lovers who have quarreled. Moonstone is also considered a good luck stone.

Moonstone is a very personal stone. It is a reflection of the person who owns it. It does not add or detract, only shows how it is. This is why the moonstone is said to perceive that which "is". Moonstone is an excellent stone to use in meditation to understand oneself. Placing it in the moonlight of a moon reaching its fullness, not a full or waning moon, can revitalize it. This is a particularly good gemstone for women. It is a good stone for young women or teenagers.

Healing Properties of Moonstone

Moonstone stimulates the functioning of the pineal gland and balances internal hormone cycles with nature's rhythms. Moonstone is a stone of inner growth and strength. Though often considered to be a woman's stone, it can be beneficial to men in opening the emotional self.

Sources of Moonstone

There are two moonstones. Adularia moonstone is an almost transparent pale gray or silvery white or blue shimmer. It is mainly found in Sri Lanka, Burma, India and Madagascar. Albite moonstone is in the feldspar group. It is semitransparent with a pale, shimmering reflection. It may be a little dull. It comes mainly from Canada.

The Origins and History of Moonstone

The ancient Romans theorized that moonstone, with its unearthly shimmer, was formed from frozen moonlight. This appealing gem variety does shine with a cool lunar light but it is the mineral feldspar, quite terrestrial in origin. The shimmer, which is called schiller or adularescence, is caused by the intergrowth of two different types of feldspar, with different refractive indexes.

Moonstones come in a variety of colors. The body color can range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink. The clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colorless body color.

Sometimes moonstone will have an eye as well as sheen. Another related feldspar variety is known as rainbow moonstone. In this variety of labradorite feldspar, the sheen is a variety of rainbow hues, from pink to yellow, to peach, purple, and blue. Sometimes one gem will show all these colors.

Fine moonstone is quite rare and becoming rarer. It is mined in Sri Lanka and Southern India. The rainbow variety can be found in India and Madagascar.

Moonstones are usually cut in a smooth-domed oval cabochon shape to maximize the effect. Sometimes they are carved to show a man-in-the-moon face.

Moonstone has a hardness of 6 to 6.5. It should not be stored in contact with your other gemstones to prevent scratching. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.

How to Clean and Care for Moonstone

Due to its relatively low hardness on the Mohs scale (6 to 6.5) and its internal cleavage planes, moonstone is a delicate gemstone that requires extra care to maintain its ethereal beauty. It is highly recommended to store your moonstone jewelry in a soft cloth pouch or a separate jewelry box compartment to prevent scratches from harder gemstones like diamonds, sapphires, or quartz.

When it comes to cleaning, never use ultrasonic cleaners or harsh chemical solvents, as these can easily fracture the stone or dull its signature adularescence. Instead, use a mild dish soap and warm water, gently scrubbing with a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any built-up dirt or oils. After cleaning, rinse the gemstone thoroughly under lukewarm water and pat it completely dry with a soft microfiber cloth before storing it or wearing it again.

Energetically, moonstone absorbs a lot of emotional energy from its wearer. To clear this accumulated energy and recharge the stone's natural vibrational frequency, it is best placed outside or on a windowsill overnight during a full moon. This lunar bath not only revitalizes the gemstone's metaphysical properties but also aligns it with its natural celestial counterpart, ensuring it continues to bring you emotional balance and intuitive clarity.