Moonstone is a variety of feldspar and its translucent shimmer is caused by the intergrowth of two types of feldspar with different refractive indexes.

Moonstones come in a variety of colours ranging from grey, brown, green or pink, and from transparent to translucent. The best moonstone is the blue one which has a beautiful clarity, or the rainbow moonstone, a type of labradorite feldspar which has a sheen containing a wondrous variety of rainbow hues. Fine moonstone is rare and becoming rarer. It is mined in Sri Lanka, Burma, Central and Southern India. In the US, in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Rainbow moonstone can be found in Madagascar.

Moonstone is linked with the moon as its glow resembles that of the moon.  It is also linked with the month of June and the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces (and some say Gemini). It has a ‘yin’ feminine energy and is believed to help with period pains, fertility and childbearing and water retention and kidney problems, as well as being an aid to foretelling the future during the full moon. In India it is associated with the third eye centre and believed to endow its wearer with clairvoyance, if placed on the mouth before retiring (the answer to questions are believed to come in a dream).

This stone was also believed in ancient times to enable lovers to foretell the future of their relationship, to ward off Cancers and even make one invisible. It was also a traditional stone for protecting its wearer from lunacy. As a sacred stone of India it is considered there to bring good fortune and was often a gift from groom to bride at a wedding. The stone represents the goddess within and has been used for a variety of women’s menstrual, childbearing and hormonal or lymph imbalances as well as being a good stone to assist in the development of children. Today it is used by gem therapy practitioners to enhance feminine energy, heal emotional stress and to treat degenerative conditions of the skin, hair, eyes and fleshy organs,

The moonstone was adopted as official state gem for Florida on May 20^th 1970 to commemorate the fact that all US manned space flights had originated from Kennedy Space centre. Ironically it was never found naturally in Florida or on the moon!

Moonstones are often cut into a domed cabochon shape to maximise their gleam. Sometimes they are carved to show a man in the moon face.

 Moonstone beads are a stunning compliment to a black dress.