Moonstones Trivia Questions

The American Gem Society and Jewelers of America list diamond, not moonstone, as the birthstone for April. Moonstone is one of the birthstones for June.

Moonstones rank about 6–6.5 on the Mohs scale, much softer than diamonds (10). They can scratch glass but not harder minerals.

While famous sources include Sri Lanka and India, moonstones also occur in Myanmar, Madagascar, Brazil, and the United States.

Moonstone is a mineral from the feldspar group, named for its shimmering adularescence. It has no lunar origin despite its name.

Moonstones come in various colors including peach, gray, green, and rainbow, though blue-white is most prized.

True synthetic moonstone (lab-created feldspar with adularescence) is not produced commercially. Materials sold as 'synthetic moonstone' are imitations like glass or coated quartz.

This effect, called adularescence, results from light interference between alternating layers of albite and orthoclase inside the stone.

Moonstone consists of intergrown layers of orthoclase and albite, two feldspar minerals, creating a shimmer known as adularescence.