Moonstone jewelry is a popular alternative as the birthstone
for June. Commonly mistaken as labradorite, both of these gemstones belong to
the large family known as Feldspar. Original orthoclase moonstone jewelry
contains translucent to semitransparent cabochon-cut gems with a white or blue
billowy light inside. It can be white, orange, brown, or gray. You can find a
fair number of these orthoclase moonstones carved into moon-faced cabochons.
Because of its moving internal light, some wearers of moonstone jewelry in the
East believe the gem has a living spirit within, one that will bring good
fortune. It's considered a sacred stone that gives the wearer the power to
read the future.
The confusion between moonstone jewelry and "labradorite
moonstone" comes about because normally labradorite contains inclusions
of ilmenite. Labradorite moonstones, however, do not contain ilmenite and
therefore look like the milky orthoclase moonstone, but come in all of the
colors labradorite is known for. Another distinction between the two gemstones
is that moonstone is a potassium sodium feldspar while labradorite is a
calcium sodium feldspar.
Moh's scale of hardness classifies moonstone as having a
rating of 6-6.5. While this may seem somewhat soft, moonstone jewelry can be
worn frequently though care should be taken against letting stones rub
together. Gem cleaner is not recommended for cleaning your moonstone jewelry.
Water may be used with a soft polishing cloth.
