Moonstone
Moonstone is a very popular semi-precious stone. It has been appreciated and used since ancient times, the Greeks and Romans considered the mineral to be petrified rays of the moon and associated it with their respective lunar deities. The gemstone was called “moonstone” because of its unique shimmer, which appears in green, yellow, blue and white shades. Even though the white moonstone - also known as rainbow moonstone - is the most popular, pink, brown and gray varieties are also common. We offer moonstone beads in all colour shades.
For inspiration and DIY tutorials on how to make jewelry with moonstone beads and other gemstones, please visit our blog. We recommend Necklaces with large gemstones, Rings with semi-precious stones and Confirmation jewelry.
Origin and history of moonstone
Moonstone is a variant of the mineral orthoclase, which is semi-transparent. This means that moonstone has the familiar mysterious blue-white glow that has given it the name moonstone, as it is reminiscent of the light the moon gives off and reflects in water. The name of the rock is not because it is formed on the moon, but rather because it resembles a moon on Earth.
However, the mythology behind the moonstone's connection to the real moon is not a new invention. As far back as the Roman Empire, the unique blue-white colour of moonstone has been described as moonbeams framed in the mineral.
Moonstone really got its renaissance during the artistic movement 'Art Nouveau', where the extravagant and pompous were at the centre of attention. Moonstone was eagerly used to embellish everything from jewellery to design objects, architecture and furniture.
Moonstone as a jewellery stone
Do you dream of making jewellery with moonstones? Then it's safe to consider moonstone in your jewellery design if you want to create a piece of jewellery with a light and airy look. In smaller cuts, the stone becomes particularly transparent and can therefore lose some of its familiar blue-white colour. If you dream of a piece of jewellery with the familiar moonlight, we definitely recommend buying the bead as an arborite and faceted, as this maintains the potential of the moon's rays frozen in the mineral.