The Second of June's Birthstones- Moonstone

 

The second of June’s birthstones is the moonstone 

Moonstone got its name from the Roman natural historian Pliny, who wrote that moonstone's appearance changed with the phases of the moon.Romans believed that moonstone was created from solidified rays of the moon which entrapped a spirit inside bringing good fortune and the ability to foretell the events of the future.  In India it is revered as a sacred stone. The Romans and Greeks associated Moonstone with their lunar deities and it is the lucky stone of the goddess Diana.

The energy released by a moonstone is balancing, introspective, reflective, and lunar. It transforms life on all levels - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Its powers are strongest during a full moon arousing tenderness within oneself and bringing happiness wherever it is found.

Moonstone is the stone of love and eroticism and is used as a fertility stone. Moonstones bring success and acceptance in love and have the power to reunite lovers who have quarreled.  And health wise they protect against cancer, kidney disease, and dropsy. 

Moonstones were once called the "travellers stone" it was worn for protection against the dangers of travel and are especially protective of those who travel by night or upon the water when the moon is shining. Moonstone is also a talisman of good fortune, bringing luck  in business. However if you want moonstone to bring you good luck, it needs to be kept wrapped up in a yellow cloth and carried in your pocket.

The physical properties of moonstones are amazing. They demonstrate a floating play of light called adularescence which moves across the surface as a line when the light varies. These lines appear as a multi-rayed star or as a cat's eye. This visual phenomenon is caused by the diffraction of light from within a microstructure comprised of regular feldspar mineral layers. 

The second of June's birthstones, Moonstones come in a wide range of colors such as white, green, blue, peach, grey, brown and champagne and a prismatic variety known as Rainbow Moonstone. They make fabulous gifts.