Bi-Color Moonstone Cabochon

Moonstone is a variety of the feldspar group of the mineral orthoclase.  Feldspars, a type of silicate minerals, includes various minerals that make up Moonstones, Sunstones, & other shimmery stones including Amazonite & Labradorite.

During formation, orthoclase & albite separate into layers. When light falls between these thin layers it is scattered producing the phenomenon called Adularescence.  This shimmer is known as the Schiller Effect & is caused by tiny layers of Feldspar mineral (mostly Albite) inclusions created during crystallization.

The oldest historical reference to Moonstone comes from Pliny the Elder (CE 23-79), who wrote that Moonstone, “contain[s] the image of the moon, which daily waxes & wanes according to the state of the luminary.” The idea that Moonstones would change in size & luster according to the phases of the moon was repeated in other ancient & medieval texts. In the 16th century, Antoine Mizuald, an Italian scientist, studied a Moonstone owned by Pope Leo X (1475-1521).  Mizuald claimed he recorded the changing size & position of the shimmer, comparing them to the moon in the sky. He concluded there was a direct correspondence.

Legend states that Moonstone brings good luck. Many believed that you could see the future if you held a Moonstone in your mouth during a full moon.

Moonstone is a stone of inner growth and strength, a stone for new beginnings. It is said to sooth emotional instability & stress, & stabilize emotions, providing calmness. Moonstone may enhance intuition, promote inspiration, success & good fortune in love as well as business.