It was believed that the leader of the Amazons, Hippolyta, had a belt fashioned from the green stones, hence the name Amazonite. It is traditionally given as a 13th wedding anniversary gift.Īmazonite is a stone mined and worn by all of the great ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome. In Europe, moonstone is considered the birthstone for June, although in the United States, it shares that distinction with the pearl. It is believed to be a stone of inner strength and is said to arouse passions. ![]() Today the stone represents serenity, happiness and friendship. During the Middle Ages, people believed one could gaze into the gem, fall into a deep sleep, and see the future. They also believed that an image of Diana, the goddess of the moon, could be seen in each stone. Rainbow moonstone is also found in Madagascar.Īncient Romans thought moonstones changed appearances with the phases of the moon. It is mined in Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Kenya. Fine moonstone is already quite rare and becoming rarer. Moonstones are usually cut in smooth, domed cabochon shapes to maximize the effects of sheen and adularescence. One variety called “rainbow moonstone” has a sheen that features a variety of rainbow hues. The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity and a colorless body color. With a clarity range of transparent to translucent, the gem’s body color can range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, orange, green or pink. Moonstone almost seems magical with a ghostly, shimmering glow floating in a crystalline material. Named by the Romans, who thought the gems were formed from moonlight, moonstones have a floating light effect called “adularescence.” They often have translucent grounds with silvery white or blue flashes. Contact your local jeweler for information on plating services.
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