How to identify moonstone. Look for areas where older mountain chains and mines are prevalent. The body color of an orthoclase moonstone is generally due to its iron content and may be white beige brown red brown orange greenish or yellowish. Asterism in the form of four rayed stars also exist but are less common.
Moonstone is a variety of the feldspar group mineral orthoclase. At first the two minerals are intermingled. Greater transparency in moonstone is more desirable and the more transparency it has the more valuable it is.
Goethite iron oxide inclusions will cause red coloration. In its natural form banded black onyx has a black base with white parallel bands across the top. Moonstone is a fairly abundant and inexpensive gemstone.
Then as the newly formed mineral cools the intergrown orthoclase and albite separate into stacked alternating layers. The moonstones are transparent and translucent so when the sun hits them they literally glow. Moonstone actually comes in a wide variety of colors however.
One of the simpler ways to distinguish the spiritual influence of a moonstone is by color. The best way to immediately recognize a moonstone is from its adularescence. The word onyx is greek for fingernail or claw.
Along with the white and colorless specimens you can find moonstone which is blue green orange pink brown purple gray or yellow. Orange moonstone is balancing reduces stress and anxiety and brings luck. A moonstone variety containing the orthoclase feldspar sanidine occurs in grant county new mexico united states.
In addition to its mysterious glow effect moonstone often displays a cats eye effect and the band of light may float upon movement of the stone. White moonstone embodies the moon at its most powerful point boosting perception and foresight. Seriously the easiest way to spot a moonstone among all those other rocks on the beach is when the.
Legend has it that cupid clipped venuss nails as. Named for its lunar glow the white moonstone is a feldspar mineral that exhibits a soft and watery opacity and a silvery white reflection called chatoyancy that moves like a line across the surface as the light varies. Moonstone comes in delicate shades of white and a prismatic variety known as rainbow moonstone.
On the mohs scale of hardness moonstone is a 6 which positions it between apatite 5 and quartz 7. The most popular moonstones are found in india and are a deep blue color. How to find a moonstone on the beach.
Fortunately finding a moonstone isnt difficult at all because of all the high concentration of feldspar minerals found on earth.
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