Subject: moonstone

From: [email-masked] (Duane Champion)
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 18:44:11 GMT

Will someone talk about moonstone.  Its history and uses.  Thanks.

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From: [email-masked] (Lawler Keith)
Date: 25 Dec 1994 04:35:18 GMT

Duane Champion ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Will someone talk about moonstone.  Its history and uses.  Thanks.

Ok, here ya go:

Moonstone is a gem variety of a feldspar.  Actually, two different
feldspars; adularia orthoclase (potassium aluminum silicate) or albite
plagioclase (sodium aluminum silicate).  They are identical in appearance
and both are considered "true" moonstones.  Their are hard (6 to 6.5 on
the Mohs hardness scale) with a vitreous luster.  They have a white streak
and are insoluble in all acids save hydroflouric acid.  The gem variety of
these is translucent. They come in many different colors from white to
pale blues, creams, yellows, pinks and browns. 

Uses:
To the best of my knowledge, there are no known industrial uses for 
Adularia Orthoclase.  It's only commercial use is as a gemstone. Albite 
plagioclase, on the other hand, is an important industrial mineral used 
in ceramics and refractories.

History:

Greeks had called the moonstone Aphroselene, a composite of the Moon
Goddess names, Aphrodite and Selene.  (Because of the name Selene, some
people confuse selenite gypsom with moonstone.  "Selenite" in direct
translation means "moonstone".  But it is NOT moonstone.  The only gem
called moonstone are the minerals described above.)  In India, moonstone
was held sacred by lovers.  If kept in the mouth during a full moon, it
was thought to have given the persons prophetic powers.  Indian gem
merchants will display it on yellow cloth, the sacred lunar color. The
Basques belived that the moonstone would make its owner serene and placid. 
They also believed it was a cure for epilepsy!! It was also believed that 
it could be used to see the future during the "crone time" of the waning 
moon.

More recent beliefs: 
Will help make you invisible.
Can tell "all that has and will be".
Will aid in travelling to the astral plane.
It will increase the yield of plants it is hung on.
Will protect travellers, but especially those traveling over water.
Will help prevent swimming accidents.
Can realign the spine, and treat cancer, edema, ulcers and emotional 
problems. 

Any questions?  Most of the info here was taken from a book called "The 
Book of Sacred Stones" by Barbara G Walker. I highly recommend this book 
if you have more than a passing interest in stones and minerals.  

All in all it is a pretty mineral, even the non-gemstone varieties.  I was
at the Gem and Jewelry show in Chicago a few weeks ago, and nice gems were
running a fairly high price (don't remember exactly but maybe
$20.00-$30.00 a carat(???????)).  While on the other hand you can find
yourself a nice, natural piece of the non-gem variety for a couple of
bucks.

Hope this helps you out,

Keith