Folklore of Moonstone

  

I love gem folklore.  I find it fascinating to read what different cultures have thought about the powers and uses of gemstones.  The following is folklore for June's birthstone, the moonstone.

"There is a bit of folklore which claims that if a man gives his lover a moonstone necklace on the night of the full moon, the couple will experience intense passion for each other forever.

The moonstone is also believed to bring good fortune, enhance intuition, offer protection, and bring success in love and business matters.

Fortune tellers decorated their crystal balls with moonstone to aid them in predicting the future. It is believed that the moonstone gem regenerates its power when placed under the light of the full moon.

Moonstone in Rome, Greece and France
From ancient civilizations to our modern-day society, moonstone has been prized and sought after to be worn as jewelry.

The Romans revered the moonstone, believing it to be born from the rays of the moon’s light.

The Greeks believed that the moonstone represented the great lunar deities like Achelois, Phoebe, Artemis, Selene and Hecate, and worshiped the stone.

 Indian Moonstone Legends

In India, the moonstone is thought to be a sacred, powerful gemstone. Moonstones there are called 'dream stones' and are believed to bring the wearer beautiful visions during sleep.

The stone is believed to bring luck in love and is given as a traditional wedding gift. Moonstones are always displayed on a cloth that is yellow, which the Indians consider a sacred color.

The legend about how the moonstone came into existence begins with a battle fought between Lord Vishnu and Bali, the demon god. Lord Vishnu destroyed Bali and broke his body into pieces. The pieces then fell to Earth as various jewels. The moonstone was formed from a piece of Bali’s eye.

Moonstone in the Middle East

In the Middle East, many women wear moonstones discretely sewn into their garments because they believe the stone is a symbol of fertility.

Amulets with moonstone are hung from trees to ensure an abundant crop.

Similar to Indians, the people in the Middle East also associate the moonstone with love matters. It is believed that a couple can predict the direction of their relationship if a moonstone is placed in their mouths at the time of the full moon.

The moonstone is also offered as a blessing to young couples. It is believed that the gem will provide fertility and help to create a large and healthy family.

  
Oriental Beliefs

In the Orient, it is believed that the moonstone gem is actually a ray of moonlight that has solidified and that a good spirit lives inside the gem. Emperors were buried with moonstone and other symbolic gems."

This information in from the website JewelryNotes.com

June's Birthstone, Moonstone

The month of June actually has 3 stones considered to be its birthstone.  One of them is moonstone.  Moonstone is considered a "modern birthstone" by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912.

Moonstone is part of a family of gemstones known as feldspar.  They range in clarity from semi transparent to opaque and you can find them colorless, and in colors such as mocha brown, yellow, pink, blue, white, orange or peach, gray, green, or silver.  

Rainbow moonstone is an opalescent gem that has a white or blue sheen or shimmer that it reflects under certain lighting conditions.  This shimmer looks like the stone has a glow from within.   This glow is called adularescence.   The most highly valued rainbow moonstones would be colorless, semitransparent to nearly transparent, without visible inclusions, and a vivid blue adularescence, also known as blue sheen.

Along with adularescence, some moonstones show chatoyancy, also called the cat’s-eye effect.  I have found this more in the peach and gray shades of the moonstone. 

Around 100AD, moonstone was used in jewelry by the Romans who believed that the stone was formed by the light of the moon. In India, moonstone is considered a sacred and magical stone. It is believed to bring good fortune, enhance passion, protect women and children, mothers and babies, and to balance the emotions.  A gift of this stone is symbolic of health and longevity.   Moonstone was very popular during the early 20th century and was used extensively in art nouveau jewelry.

Moonstone is not very durable or hard gemstone compared to other gems used for jewelry.  Use a bit of caution and care in handling this gem or a piece of jewelry with this gem in it.  Do not use any harsh chemicals or cleaners to clean your gems. Avoid using ultrasonic cleaners or steamers. Simply use a mild soap and a soft cloth to clean your gemstones. Rinse well under warm water your gemstone to remove any soapy residue. Moonstone is considered sensitive to pressure, so do not set your stones using  tension-style mountings. Always remove moonstone jewelry before exercising, playing sports or performing household chores. When storing your moonstone, store them separately and away from other types of gems and jewelry, whether harder or softer. If possible, wrap your stones individually using a soft cloth, or you can place them inside a fabric-lined jewelry box for added protection.


The highest quality moonstones are found in Sri Lanka and India.   Other notable sources include Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Myanmar (Burma), Madagascar, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland, Tanzania, and the United States.  Rainbow moonstone can be found in Brazil, Europe, India, Australia, Germany, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Tanzania, and Pennsylvania and Virginia in the U.S.

Semi Precious Gemstones Peach Moonstone

Moonstone was once extremely popular, particularly in the time of Art Nouveau about a hundred years ago. Also in recent years it has seen an increase in demand, unfortunately Moonstone, particularly fine Moonstone, is becoming increasingly rare.

The valued bluish and nearly transparent Moonstones are most often found in Sri Lanka. There are also known deposits of Moonstones in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Switzerland, Tanzania, and the United States.

A symbolic substitute for the name Moonstone is “Selenite”, relating to the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene. Moonstone was popular with the Romans, believing it was formed out of the Moonlight.

In India it is considered to be a sacred and magical stone, bringing about pleasant and beautiful dreams and appreciated as a “dream stone.”

Moonstone is associated with the heart chakra. It is said to enhance passion, sensitivity, intuition, physical abilities, and is said to bring good fortune. Moonstone is a stone of protection, protecting women and children, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth. Physically it is said to aid the wearer's pituitary gland and digestive system and also to fight against obesity. The moonstone is also said to calm emotions and ease hormonal and menstrual problems.

Special care should be taken when wearing and cleaning the stone because of its fragility. Small damages that may occur after prolonged usage can be corrected somewhat easily. This can be accomplished by having a jeweler polish the stone in such a way that will regain its adularescence. The scientific term for the kind of shimmer that gives this stone its magical look is schiller or adularescence. Peach Moonstone exhibits a shimmering peach hue with a glistening luster.

Care & Cleaning:
Moonstone jewelry can be cleaned in warm water with a mild detergent and a soft brush. As with most gemstones, Moonstone should be kept away from exposure to excessive amounts of heat and household chemicals which can cause the stone to erode or cause color change. Keep your Moonstone jewelry in a fabric-lined box away from other jewelry, so as to avoid chipping, damage, or scratching.


By Jewelsite.com
Encyclopedia Gemstones

New Cabachons

I am beginning to carry cabachons for ring and pendant designing. Some are calibrated in size and others have been cut to a custom size. The stones are beautiful. Take a look:


Prehnite Rounds


Moonstone Rounds


Turquoise


Charolite

I will be adding many more so keep coming back!

More Pretty New Beads

All of these new beads are available at Tiger Beads. They are part of my last shopping spree.


Sparkly Neon Micro Faceted Apatite Rondelles


Blue Flash Labradorite Heishi Beads


Juicy Mango Chalcedony Round Beads


And Rainbow Moonstone Micro Faceted Rondelles

June's Birthstone, Moonstone

Currently one of my favorite gemstones is moonstone. When I found out it was June's birthstone, I knew I wanted to write about it.

Moonstone is part of a family of gemstones known as feldspar. It is an opalescent gem that always has a white or blue sheen that reflects light. It looks like it has a glow from within the stone. In a moonstone, this glow is called adularescence.

Moonstone's clarity ranges from transparent to translucent, and comes colorless, in a milky white, yellow, orange, peach and gray. Moonstone will pick up the colors you wear, which makes it a very versatile gemstone. One of the colors it looks best with is black. The radiance of the stone is stunning with black.

Around 100AD, moonstone was used in jewelry by the Romans who believed that the stone was formed by the light of the moon. In India, moonstone is considered a sacred and magical stone. It is believed to bring good fortune, enhance passion, protect women and children, mothers and babies, and to balance the emotions. Moonstone was very popular during the early 20th century and was used extensively in art nouveau jewelry.

The highest quality moonstones are found in Sri Lanka. It is also found in Brazil, Europe, India, Australia, Germany, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Tanzania, and Pennsylvania and Virginia in the U.S.