Before we move on to ways to tell if a moonstone is rough or real, we need to discuss what the stone is made of. For a stone as beautiful and multi-faceted as moonstone, there is no doubt that you need a real and authentic version in your collection.

Raw moonstone appears as a milky white stone with a number of occlusions. It may also have green or blue tints. Moonstone possesses a characteristic called adularescence. This is a unique shimmering found nearly exclusively in moonstone, and moonstone is known for its shimmer.

Whatever your reason for looking at a piece of moonstone, rest assured that you will now be able to distinguish the real stone from its synthetic counterparts. While you certainly don’t need an excuse to buy a moonstone, learn more about moonstone symbolism and its various mystical associations.

Moonstone is a truly remarkable stone, showing a distinctive visual effect unlike any other. The uneven surface of the carving, combined with the sheen, creates a delightfully intricate and lively effect. Moonstone is available in a wide range of sizes and carat weights. The diffuse light within the stone is what makes the moonstone glow and add beauty to the gemstone. When the rainbow moonstone catches the light, the reflection of the layers and inclusions creates a rainbow effect.

The Peculiar Type of Moonstone Luminescence

Labradorescence is not the same as adularescence, the brilliance that the stone is known for. Identification of Rainbow Moonstone Back to top Rainbow moonstone can be recognized by its characteristic flattering hue, which looks like an internal source of light or brilliance.

Just to complicate matters, this can also refer to labradorite, which is another feldspar gemstone and usually comes in a rainbow of hues. The scientific name for rainbow moonstone is labradorite, and despite the name, rainbow moonstone is different from real moonstone, which is called orthoclase. Rainbow moonstone has a mottled milky hue that comes from white inclusions and layers of orthoclase.

As mentioned above, lunar rocks consist of layers of orthoclase and albite. However, as the moonstones begin to crystallize, they separate into alternating layers, which we see in moonstone gemstones. Moonstone can be said to be a translucent or transparent stone, the more transparent, the more valuable it is. Simply put, moonstone rock is a type of feldspar filled with alternating layers of orthoclase and albite.

Moonstones Belong to the Feldspar Group

Moonstones can be any of the feldspar groups, the most common being orthoclase, oligoclase, or microplagioclase. The most common moonstone is orthoclase adularia feldspar, named after an early mining site near Mt.

Of course, some people still prefer to classify certain plagioclase minerals as moonstones, so you may want to discuss this topic with a gemologist. Moonstone, as the name given to various gemstones, can be used for any feldspar that exhibits a white light. Moonstone is the colloquial name for gem-quality feldspar, which exhibits a bluish-white appearance. True moonstone is prized for its more attractive white light effect, a bluish-white light that appears to float in the gemstone.

Adularescence causes the surface of Polish Moonstone to glow blue and whitish like moonlight. When light kisses a moonstone, you will notice an extraordinary optical quality called adularescence. When light intersects with moonstones in the various layers of feldspar, the gemstone emits a pearly bluish-white glow.

Opalite Appears Similar to Moonstone

While moonstone retains its luster, opalite can look different under any color light. The body color of a real moonstone can be green, yellow-brown or grey-almost black. The color range of real moonstones includes both warm shades (from yellow to brown) and cool shades (from light green to blue and gray).

The best royal moonstones have a colorless, translucent or nearly transparent appearance and a bright blue highlight, sometimes referred to in the trade as blue glitter. Moon rocks are prized for their adularescence, an optical phenomenon that gives the appearance of billowing clouds of blue to white light with moonlight. Rainbow Moonstone shows its maximum natural light brilliance with a creamy, translucent aura with occasional iridescent glows and transparency, especially between opaque and translucent.

The bluish sheen floating on the surface of the moonstone gives it an almost magical charm, as if it has its own inner light. Its name comes from the visual luster or shiller (play of colors) effect caused by the diffraction of light within a microstructure composed of regular layers of highlights (lamellae) of various alkali feldspars (orthoclase and sodium-rich plagioclase).

Numerous Shades of Moonstone Exist

Green moonstone is not as well known as rainbow or blue moonstone as it does not have play of colors, however it is still a beautiful stone. The play of colors has made rainbow moonstone a very popular stone and is often used in silver jewelry. In addition to Moonstone’s mysterious glowing effect, Moonstone often exhibits a cat’s eye effect, and the streak of light can fluctuate depending on the movement of the stone. A rare but very popular variety of moonstone is the cat’s eye or star moonstone, where inclusions in the stone reflect a thin band of light resembling a cat’s eye or, more rarely, 4 to 6 or even star rays.

It should be noted that the moonstone can have different transparency, and the stones can be completely transparent or opaque, as well as solid in hue. Pure moonstone stones are colorless and already stunning in their own right. It is worth noting that high-quality moonstones contain few inclusions and cracks and have a fairly rich color when it comes to colored minerals.

The gem also exhibits light yellow pleochroism, a term used to refer to different colors in different crystal directions. Today, the popular color variety of moonstone includes hues ranging from orange to yellow, called peach. A good moonstone should be nearly transparent and as free from inclusions as possible. Blue moonstone is clear and crystalline with a floating blue tint on the surface. The most coveted stones have the deepest blue color.

Remember that although sometimes you can determine for yourself whether you are looking at a real stone or not, it is best to trust professionals who will accurately determine the authenticity of a moonstone.