History and belief
In Hindu mythology moonstone is said to be made of solidified moonbeams. Old legends say it brings good luck, and some believed you could see the future by holding a moonstone in your mouth at the full moon.
Around 1900, Art Nouveau jewellers such as René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany set moonstones in their work. Its old name, adularia, comes from the St Gotthard area of Switzerland, an early source of fine moonstone.
What many people say
Many women keep a moonstone as a companion through cycles, both the moon’s and the body’s. It is a beautiful reminder that everything has its phases.
What the stone really is
Moonstone is an alkali feldspar. The floating light is called adularescence, and it comes from extremely thin layers inside the feldspar. Light scatters between the layers and creates the bluish sheen, clearest when the stone is cut round.
Orthoclase is the reference mineral for hardness 6 on the Mohs scale, so moonstone is softer than quartz and should be handled gently. The feldspar in Norwegian larvikite has a similar play of light.
Research has not found that crystals work beyond the placebo effect. Read about crystals and research