Moonstone

The best known and most desirable Moonstones are those with a near colourless, translucent body accompanied by a silvery blue sheen or reflection which appears to roam across the surface of the stone as it is turned and viewed from different angles.

They are usually cut as cabochons in order to best display this effect, which is called adularescence and results from a scattering of light caused by the internal structure of the stone. It has long been admired for its ethereal appearance and was particularly popular during the Art Nouveau period, when it was used to great effect. 

Different cultures and societies have associated it with different values and properties, including the ability to foretell the future if you hold one in your mouth during a full moon – worth a try surely!

The stone leant its name to the first ever English detective novel by Wilkie Collins, called simply The Moonstone, although the stone in the story is actually a diamond whose brilliance was said to wax and wane with the light of the moon.

Description: Moonstone is the best known member of the Feldspar family and can occur in a variety of colours including white, yellow and brown, the most desirable stones have a blue-ish sheen to them and are found in Sri Lanka.

Hardness: 6 on Mohs Scale

Birthstone: June