Are moonstones worth money?

Moonstone comes in a wide range of sizes and carat weights. Fine-quality material is becoming scarcer in larger sizes. Large fine moonstone is very rare, making it relatively valuable.

What color moonstone is most valuable?

Moonstone that's colorless with blue sheen is most valuable but moonstone is available in green, peach, brown, and gray with blue, silver, white or rainbow adularescence.

What is the average price of moonstone?

Prices for moonstones average as little as $10 per carat up to $1,000 for a clear, rare moonstone.

How can you tell good quality moonstone?

Gemstone clarity is determined by how many identifying marks it has—known as inclusions—which are present in most gemstones. The highest quality moonstones are transparent with minimal inclusions. Those with more visible inclusions are more affordable, and these marks add to the stone's beauty and charisma.

How do you tell if moonstone is real?

Moonstones are known for their adularescence – a unique optical illusion that results in a milky, bluish luster or glow on the surface of the gem. To test this aspect of the jewel, place it under bright artificial light and view it from above. If you notice the blue/white glow, your moonstone is probably real.

Understanding quality of Moonstones cabochons

What does high quality moonstone look like?

Moonstones are incredibly varied in terms of body color. If they are colorless and translucent with a light blue sheen, they are typically the most prized and expensive kind.

Which color moonstone is best?

The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colorless body color. Sometimes the moonstone has an eye as well as a glare. The similar feldspar form is known as Moonstone Rainbow. A variety of feldspar labradorite has a range of rainbow colours, from red and orange, to white, purple and blue.

What is AAA grade moonstone?

Best (AAA)

The top 10% of moonstones belong to this category. These gems do not have eye-visible inclusions and showcase an almost blue sheen.

What are the two types of moonstone?

There are 3 types of moonstone: transparent, translucent, and opaque. The most bought type is translucent. People favor it for its nice sheen it also has less inclusion, therefore less milkiness.

What is the most common moonstone?

The most common moonstone is of the orthoclase feldspar mineral adularia, named for an early mining site near Mt. Adular in Switzerland, now the town of St. Gotthard. A solid solution of the plagioclase feldspar oligoclase +/− the potassium feldspar orthoclase also produces moonstone specimens.

Is moonstone a real gem?

The moonstone is actually the feldspar variety known as 'adularia', a potassium aluminosilicate of gemstone quality, which is also found in the European Alps near the Adula Group – hence the name 'adularia'. Another synonym for moonstone is 'selenite', from the Greek 'selene' ('moon').

Where is moonstone most commonly found?

The finest moonstones are found mainly in Sri Lanka and Southern India. Other varieties occur Australia, Armenia, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States. The rainbow variety of moonstone can be found in India and Madagascar.

Which is more valuable opal or moonstone?

Opals are more valuable than moonstones because of their rarity and uniqueness–no two opals are alike. Moonstones have a unique property known as adularescence, which gives the stone an ethereal sheen.

What's so special about moonstone?

Moonstone is best known for its pearly sheen, or schiller effect, where light reflects off of the two types of feldspar that make this stone, orthoclase and albite. These two minerals grow together in alternating layers, and a phenomena named adularescence happens whenever light hits this play of orthoclase and albite.

Do moonstones glow in the dark?

The reason behind its glow…

This illusion occurs when light is reflected after it touches the multiple, thin feldspar mineral layers that are present within the gemstone. These layers act like a diffuser by softening the light and cause it to bounce inside the stone, which results in a mesmerizing glow.

Is moonstone precious or semiprecious?

The enchanting moonstone is a semi-precious gemstone which radiates beauty.

Why is moonstone so cheap?

Sizes. Moonstone is rare in both large size and fine quality, but Indian material with strong body color is abundant and very inexpensive. This is fortunate, because the material is usually well-cut and very attractive. Moonstone with a blue sheen, the most valuable kind, rarely occurs in sizes over 15-20 carats.

What Zodiac is moonstone for?

In Astrology, moonstone is the birthstone for Cancer and is a mystic alternative stone for birthdays from June 21 to July 22. "Moonstone" was named by the ancient Greeks to describe gemstones that revealed the moon's ethereal silvery light.

How do moonstones glow?

Adularescence is the optical phenomenon that causes the extraordinary glow on the surface of moonstone. The light moves across the stone much like moonlight would glide across a large body of calm water. This happens when light reflects off of the thin layers of different feldspar minerals within moonstone.

Do all moonstones have adularescence?

Moonstone is the phenomenal variety of feldspar that shows adularescence, a soft billowy sheen that rolls over the surface of the stone. Adularescence is an interference effect caused by alternating internal layers of albite and orthoclase feldspar.

Is moonstone better than diamonds?

Moonstone is less durable than gems like sapphire, diamond or amethyst. It is vulnerable to scratching and also chipping or cleaving if accidentally hit against a hard surface. Wearing moonstone rings during sports or at the gym isn't recommended.

Does moonstone have negative effects?

This pearly iridescent stone has exceptional benefits for the wearer. However, there are no such side effects of wearing a Moonstone gemstone but it is always advisable to wear it after consulting experts who have a deep knowledge on gemstones and their properties.

What energy does moonstone bring?

Moonstone is associated with passion, fortune-telling, balance, and luck, and can reunite lovers when they quarrel. Said to be most powerful on a full moon, it can be worn as jewelry, placed on or near you in gemstone form, or rest near you while you sleep. It is best placed on the third eye for healing purposes.

How do you grade a moonstone?

Like diamonds and other gemstones, moonstones are assessed by the 4Cs: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. An American Gem Society jeweler can help you find the moonstone you want. Generally, the more transparent the stone and the bluer its adularescence (or sheen), the higher its value.