Natural Moonstone Gemstones
Moonstone is a feldspar, usually orthoclase (KAlSi3O8) intergrown with albite. Its body is colorless to white, sometimes grey, peach or faintly green, and its defining trait is adularescence: a soft, billowy light that seems to float just beneath the surface as the stone turns, usually blue or silvery white. With a Mohs hardness of 6 to 6.5 it suits pendants, earrings and carefully worn rings.
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Gemstone guide
Natural Moonstone Gemstones
About moonstone
Moonstone is a birthstone for June. Its glow comes from very thin alternating layers of two feldspars that formed as the crystal cooled; these layers scatter light, and the thinner they are, the bluer the sheen. Sri Lanka has long been the classic source of fine blue moonstone, and India, Myanmar and Madagascar also produce it. Rainbow moonstone, popular in jewelry, is actually a variety of labradorite.
What you'll find in this collection
Our moonstone comes from India and is untreated. You'll find round cabochons, sold in small lots, of about 4 to 6.5 carats in total, suited to earrings and small jewelry.
How to recognise moonstone
Turn the cabochon under a single light and look for the floating glow moving across the dome; a well cut moonstone shows it centered on top. Moonstone often contains small inclusions that look like centipedes or tiny cracks, which are typical of feldspar. Glass imitations usually glow evenly and lack the moving, three-dimensional sheen.
Caring for moonstone
Moonstone has two cleavage directions and can crack or chip if knocked. Choose protective settings, clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners and sudden temperature changes.
Every stone is natural, and each listing gives its weight, size, origin and treatment, with photos of the actual stone.