10 Fun N’ Nerdy Facts about Moonstones

June has three birthstones. I’ve written about pearls already. Moonstone and Alexandrite are the other birthstones for June. I’m kinda envious that June babies get their choice of three great options for birthstones. Here are some fun and nerdy facts about moonstones:

1. No surprise, back in the day people thought moonstones were either created by moonbeams or, at the very least, that the moon was associated with the stones' powers.

2. What powers did people associate with this stone? It was believed that wearing the stone would bring the wearer good luck and a feeling of love and affection. It was suppose to have healing properties and is associated with water signs of the zodiac.

3. Moonstones can be faceted and carved. This is especially exciting for us designers and makers because it gives us more options to play with.

4. Moonstone is a sodium potassium aluminum silicate from the feldspar group.

5. It comes in a wide range of colors, from colorless through shades of yellow, gray, green, pink, reddish, orange, and brown.

6. Moonstones are a 6 on the Mohs Scale and can chip or cleave so jewelers need to set these stones in a way that protects them as much as possible. Bezel setting is an example of a protective setting. Pendants and earrings get much less bumps and bangs so they do well, but a ring, obviously, gets more wear and tear. So treat your moonstones kindly.

7. Another thing to look out for with your moonstone jewelry is to never put it in an ultrasonic cleaner. Warm, soapy water and a soft brush will do the trick.

8. Romans used moonstones in jewelry for two thousand years and associated it with Diana, the Moon Goddess.

9. In India, they believed, since the beginning of time, a moonstone had been set into the forehead of India’s moon god, Chandra.

10. It is also called the Traveler’s Stone and ancient mariners would have the stone in their jewelry, in their pocket or aboard their ship as protection while traveling over water.