Whether you’re celebrating a June birthday or honoring Florida’s state gemstone, moonstone jewelry makes a luminous gift.
Like diamonds and other gemstones, moonstones are assessed by the 4Cs: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight.
Moonstone Color
Moonstone that’s colorless with a blue sheen is most valuable but moonstone is available in green, peach, brown, and gray with blue, silver, white, or rainbow adularescence. Generally, the more transparent the stone and the bluer its adularescence (or sheen), the higher its value.
Moonstone Clarity
Moonstone that is almost transparent and as free of inclusions as possible is generally preferred. A slight translucency helps to accentuate the adularescence.
Moonstone Cut
Most moonstone is cut in the smooth domed shape called a cabochon to best show the adularescence. Faceted moonstone is becoming more popular.
Moonstone Carat Weight
Moonstone is available in a wide range of sizes but fine material is rare in large sizes and its value increases as a result.
This beautiful gemstone’s weakness is its relatively low hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale, making it prone to stress cracking. Care is required with moonstone jewelry like rings or bracelets, so brooches and pendants are often preferred instead.
There is no synthetic moonstone on the market. Although it has been simulated by chalcedony and manmade spinels, these imitations are easy to spot.
How to Clean Your Moonstone?
It goes without saying that all precious and semi-precious stones must be cleaned frequently. You do not need any special appliances to clean them, though. Most stones respond well to mild detergent and warm water. Scrub them using a soft brush, preferably a baby brush with soft bristles. Avoid scrubbing too hard else you may end up scratching the stone. Rinse the Moonstone and dry it gently with the help of a soft, lint-free cloth. Always rinse your gem-studded jewellery in a bowl of water. Sometimes the stones on a piece of jewellery become loose in their settings. Rinsing them in a sink or wash basin poses a risk of losing such gems.
Make sure to wipe off any trace of makeup from your Moonstone jewellery when you remove them after use. A soft pure cotton cloth is the best choice for wiping such jewellery.