Then, as the newly formed mineral cools, the intergrown orthoclase and albite separate into stacked, alternating layers. Blue moonstone is transparent and crystal clear with a floating blue tone on the surface. The most desirable stones have the most intense blue colour. The largest and best stones have traditionally come from Myanmar Burma , however it has become much harder to find good stones and therefore the price has increased. Rainbow moonstone has a milky patchy appearance which comes from the white orthoclase inclusions and layers.
When the stone catches the light, the reflection off the layers and inclusions produces a rainbow effect. The colour play has made this a very popular stone and it is often used in silver jewellery. The scientific name for rainbow moonstone is labradorite, and despite the name it is different from true moonstone, which is called orthoclase. Green moonstone is not as well known as rainbow or blue moonstone as it does not have the colour play, however it is still a beautiful stone.
It usually has a slightly hazy or clear appearance an a pale green-yellow colour. When you look down at the stone you will see a light emanating from within, like a full moon.
It is commonly cut with a high dome to accentuate this optical effect and frequently a star of light will be visible on the top of the dome.
The term pink covers colours from honey to beige to peach, ranging from translucent to opaque. This type of stone is often used in rows of coloured beads. Orthoclase is a relatively inexpensive transparent stone that is colourless or pale yellow, and can have a blue white tone or sheen. The colourless variety is called adularia, as it was found at Mount Adular in Switzerland. Orthoclase is commonly faceted as a step cut due to its fragile nature, and becasue of this it is not widely used or produced.
Amazonite is an attractive opaque stone. Modern geological science has uncovered the mysteries behind its appearance which stumped so many cultures before — boiling it down to a complex formation process undergone by common minerals.
Moonstone is a variety of feldspar, itself a mixture of silica and aluminum. Some of its properties, such as the colorful glow which characterizes it, called adularescence, come from the process by which it forms. With other important properties such as its perfect cleavage, color, and refractive index, its adularescence makes this coveted gemstone unique. Not having the scientific resources and methods which exist today, all major mythologies in which it makes an appearance associated moonstone with lunar powers because of its typical light feminine colors and soft glow.
The Romans thought that it was made of frozen moonlight. The stone was used in connection with the deity Luna and could be found at many of her places of worship. During the Art Nouveau period, moonstone was used in intricate jewelry which sported curves and flamboyance typical of the time.
The stone itself was cut in smooth curves. Its chemical formula is KAlSi 3 O 8. It has the possibility of displaying several different colors: typical varieties are colorless, white, beige, or silvery blue, but it has been known to commonly show up in green, darker brown, or reddish-brown as well. It displays perfect cleavage, which can cause it to be very fragile even with a Mohs hardness of Perfect cleavage means that the stone breaks along flat planes which can reflect the light easily because of an absence of imperfections.
The key attribute of moonstone is its adularescence. This gleam can sometimes expose the internal structure of the stone, which consists of a multitude of minuscule layers, which if well defined will take the form of a square lattice inside the piece. Lower quality moonstones exhibit a shimmer or very little adularescence at all, especially if unpolished.
The internal structure of moonstone, which is responsible for many of its unique properties, comes directly from the amazing process which forms it.
Such a unique process is the result of the slightly different chemical properties of the specific feldspar varieties which form it.
Two types of feldspar is characteristically cool at slightly different temperatures. When found together in magma cooling at a specific slow rate, this difference causes them to separate into microscopic layers as they harden.
The layers refract and trap light differently once solid, and this causes the characteristic ivory to shine. The two varieties of feldspar which make up moonstone are orthoclase and albite. The slow rate of their cooling allows the first constituent to harden well before the second.
As it hardens, the material which is still liquid has a tendency to stick together, but while the two feldspar types have such similar densities, the liquid cannot travel very far. Continue Shopping. You've earned free US shipping Almost there! The Perfect Gift Wrap Set. Add to Cart. Top search Moonstone Opal Harlow. New In. Singles Day Sale. Real Gemstones Jewelry. Moonstone meaning. March 05, The sacred meaning behind Moonstone.
As ancient as the moon itself, the meaning of moonstone lies within its energy. Moonstone origins. Our Favorite Ways to Wear Moonstone. There are a number of processes used to alter the color, apparent clarity, or improve the durability of gems. Some gemstones have synthetic counterparts that have essentially the same chemical, physical, and optical properties, but are grown by man in a laboratory.
Any gem can be imitated—sometimes by manmade materials or by natural materials chosen by man to impersonate a particular gem. Rare in top qualities, this ethereal gem derives from one of the earth's most common minerals.
Smith and William L. Dazzling brilliance. Captivating color. Emerald is the bluish green to green variety of beryl, a mineral species that includes aquamarine. Citrine is the transparent, pale yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz.
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