Moonstones - Stones of the Moon - Goddess
Power
The name “moonstone” was coined by the ancient Greeks to describe
gemstones that displayed the moon's ethereal silvery light. They valued the
moonstone as a talisman for lovers. To wear it was thought to arouse the
most tender of passions and true love. It was also believed that wearing the
stone conveyed knowledge of future events, and could guide a person in
making important decisions.
The Romans thought Moonstone to be formed out of moonlight as well and to be
the stone of sensitivity and love.
In India
today, moonstone is considered to be sacred and magical. It is thought to be
a "Dream Stone", bringing about sweet and beautiful dreams. In the Far East
moonstone is said to balance yin and yang and promote greater flexibility
and flow with life.
Moonstone amulets are tied to the ancient legends of the moon goddess of
Egypt, Isis, the Greek deity, Selene and the Roman goddess of the moon,
Diana.
Diana, Goddess of the Moon
In Gemology, Moonstone is the name given to the member of a feldspar group
of gemstones. They are remarkable for their chatoyancy or adularescence
(Glow or inner light) Fine moonstone is quite rare and is becoming rarer
everyday. It is found in various locals including the United States but the
finest and most abundant sources are in Burma, Sri Lanka and India.
Moonstone's body color can range from
colorless to white, gray, brown, yellow, orange, green, or peach . But its
beauty is in its sheen, which can be white to deep flame blue.
The sheen effect is caused by the intergrowth of two different types of
feldspar with different refractive indexes: These intergrowths result from
compatible chemistries at high temperatures becoming incompatible at lower
temperatures and thus a separating and layering of these two phases when the
stone cools down during its genesis. The resulting shiller effect is caused by
a ray of light entering a layer and being refracted back and forth by deeper
layers before leaving the crystal. This refracted ray has a different
character than the incident one and this produces the moonlike glow.
What is it about the elusive light moving through the heart of the
moonstone that captivates us?
The silver-white luster of a summer moon… the soft, mesmerizing sheen… the
subtle and soothing colors…moonstones are truly nature’s gift to us - meant
to be worn and admired.
Cambria Moonstones
In Cambria we have a beautiful white translucent stone on our beaches. It
was named by our early settlers Moonstone after the gemstone above. It is a different
mineral than the gem but it shares some of the same pale ethereal light at
its center. Beach moonstones are composed of a mineral called chalcedony.
The stones are formed in the earth by patient dripping of water and minerals
through the ages. During storms they are swept out of their underground
caves and down the streams into the ocean where they are patiently tumbled
and polished by the turbulent pacific along our rocky coast.
Polished Cambria Moonstones
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