Moonstone Feldspar insights and more by the Top Gemologist in Canada.

Feldspars are the most widespread mineral on the Earth’s Crust.  Some of the Feldspar varieties that people love to wear are gleaming & cool Moonstone, Shiny and Warm Sunstone. 

Today, We are going to discuss June's Birthstone - Moonstone, Feldspar.

 Moonstone’s Delicate beauty and its long heritage make it the most famous gemstone of the Feldspar Group. Moonstone is a relatively softer gem with 6 - 6.5 hardness as per Mohs Scale. That's why it's a great pick for carving decorative jewelry.

The uneven surface of the carvings combines with the shifting adularescence sheen to create a delightful and lively effect. The most common cutting style for moonstone is cabochons and carving cabochons. Moonstones are readily available at a moderate price in calibrated sizes. But fine quality is rare and expensive.

 Moonstone is also shaped in beads for strands. Faceted Moonstones have also become quite famous in recent years. The trend heightens the brilliance and tends to hide inclusions.

Moonstone’s adularescence is caused by the scattering of light by stacked, alternating mineral layers. Moonstone’s delicate beauty makes it the most popular and well-known feldspar used in jewelry.

Its blue adularescence is its most captivating quality. The soft glow that seems to roll across the gem, happens when the moonstone’s thin, flat layers scatter light. 

The finest moonstone possesses a colorless, semi-transparent to nearly transparent appearance and vivid blue adularescence. Blue sheen is the trade term for highly prized, vivid blue adularescence displayed by the finest moonstone.

Sources: As the market demand for Moonstones is strong. It is readily available in modestly priced, calibrated sizes but still, there is a limited supply of material that can be considered the finest quality.

Srilanka is the major source of fine quality moonstone. Southern India & Myanmar supplies the lower and commercial quality of moonstone.

 Color: Moonstone ranges in appearances from semi-transparent to opaque, colorless to white, with blue, silver or white adularescence effect.

Moonstones body color varies widely from green, yellow to brown or grey to nearly black with adularescence, some moonstones show chatoyancy and a few show four-rayed asterisms.

A good moonstone should be as transparent and free of inclusions as possible. Centipedes can interfere with adularescence. If it is cut as a cabochon the dimensions should be uniform, its profile shouldn't be too flat. Expert Gemologist in Canada - Jina can guide you through the entire process.

Buyers should consider cut, clarity and size while purchasing the same.  If Moonstone’s adularescence is only visible within a restricted range of viewing angles, its value drops. The sheen should be centered on the top of a cabochon, it should be easily seen from a wide range of viewing angles.