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www.mineralgallery.co.za Minerals K-O |
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Moonstone (Feldspar) |
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Name
Moonstone
Chemistry
NaAlSiO3
Uses
As a decorative gemstone
Color
It usually possesses a special effect with a colorplay of blues
Hardness
Specific gravity
Moonstone belongs to the feldspar family.
Moonstone is one of the birthstones for June. It is a semiprecious feldspar that exhibits a bluish, silvery, or pearly light. The term moonstone is correctly applied to the alkali orthoclase feldspar adularia, which consists of submicroscopic intergrowths of albite (NaAlSiO3)
orthoclase (KAlSiO4).
The chief commercial source is Sri Lanka, where moonstones occur in the Dumbara district gem gravels and pegmatites. Sacred in India, moonstone is believed to bring good fortune and to arouse the passions of lovers.