Moonstone has translucent white color with a white sheen similar to “moonshine” that rolls or flows over the stone when rotated, hence the name “moonstone.” The sheen is caused by light diffraction within layers of feldspar.
Generally a creamy translucent white stone, rainbow moonstone features occasional iridescent or multicolored (especially blue) flashes with transparency that ranges from opaque to semitranslucent. Rainbow moonstone is best seen in natural light for play of color.
Rainbow Moonstone History
Moonstone has been used in jewelry going back to ancient civilizations. The Romans believed moonstone was born from solidified rays of the moon. The Greeks and the Romans associated moonstone with their lunar gods.
During the Art Nouveau period in the early 20th century, moonstone became popular with artists and goldsmiths for creating jewelry.
Rainbow Moonstone Metaphysical Properties
Moonstone is often called the visionary’s stone. It helps us see things more clearly. Rainbow moonstone is thought to bring balance, harmony and hope while enhancing creativity, compassion, endurance and inner confidence.
Rainbow moonstone is believed to help strengthen intuition and psychic perception, especially offering us visions of things that aren’t immediately obvious. Because it helps us avoid tunnel vision, we are able to see other possibilities. It’s like a flash of inspiration that comes when we are open and quiet. When we wear rainbow moonstone, life-changing inspirations can happen more and more often.
Rainbow Moonstone Geological Properties
Moonstone is a feldspar with a pearly and opalescent schiller. Moonstone is composed of the feldspar species, orthoclase and albite. After the two species are intermingled the newly formed mineral cools and the two species separate into layers. When light falls between these thin, flat layers, it scatters in many directions producing the phenomenon called adularescence, named after ‘adularia’, the historical name once used to refer to moonstone.
Deposits of moonstone occur in Armenia, Australia, the Alps in Austria, Mexico, Madagascar, Myanmar, Norway, Poland, India, Sri Lanka and the United States.
| Mineral Information | Potassium feldspar |
| Chemical Composition | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Color | Creamy, translucent white with flashes of blue |
| Hardness | 6 to 6-1/2 (Mohs) |
| Specific Gravity | 2.56 – 2.58 |
| Refractive Index | 1.520 – 1.525 |
Proper Care of Rainbow Moonstone
Like other feldspar gemstones such amazonite and labradorite, rainbow moonstone is sensitive to chemicals, abrasives, heat, acids and ammonia.
Never use a steamer, hot water or ultrasonic cleaners with this gemstone.
Use mild soap and room temperature tap water with a soft cloth to retain the luster of the gemstone.
To learn more about moonstone and other gemstones, order your copy of Walter Schumann’s revised and expanded edition of Gemstones of the World
Designing with Rainbow Moonstone
Remember 4th of July sparklers when you were a child? Think of them whenever you see rainbow moonstone. Unlike those sparklers which were beautiful only when they were lit, rainbow moonstone has an immediate and constant beauty. But, its unexpected blue flash is what’s thrilling.
The cabochons make elegant pendants. Rainbow moonstone beads in chokers, bracelets and mixed in multiple strands with amethyst will make people catch their breaths just as they did when they were kids and saw a 4th of July sparkler.