Where can I find moonstones?

[thecat]

I have no idea if moonstones can be treated. But I want a natural blue and transparent one for a pendant. May I know of reliable vendors for such a gem? Need not be collector gem quality. I also have no idea how moonstones are priced. Is there any guideline?

 

[wordie89]

Thecat I don't know about determining quality aside from the glow...you might want to check barry bridgestock site. He had a moonstone and may have others not listed. He seems to price stones at a fair price.

 

[mochiko42]

Sally at Heart of Water can source moonstones for jewelry projects and she has in the past on request also sold loose stones. She has great access to suppliers of good quality blue and rainbow moonstones (both cabs and rose cuts).

 

[thecat]

Wordie, Mochiko, thanks for your reply.

 

[Rosebloom]

PS has moonstone fever these days! Count me among the afflicted!

 

[LoversKites]

It's really interesting when a gemstone suddenly becomes popular on PS. A few weeks ago there were lots of threads about Montana sapphires. Now moonstone. OP, I hope you find your moonstone!

 

[T L]

I have no idea if moonstones can be treated.

They are often fracture filled. As far as I know, there are no synthetic, but they are simulated with heated synthetic spinel, or synthetic opal, or "opalite" (a milky glass with some blue in it) or even with plastic.

 

[puppyguts]

multicolour.com always have some

 

[lilmosun]

They are often fracture filled. As far as I know, there are no synthetic, but they are simulated with heated synthetic spinel, or synthetic opal, or "opalite" (a milky glass with some blue in it) or even with plastic.

I have an opalite piece that was sold to me as moonstone. I had never seen a nice moonstone so was taken by the blue glow. While I didn't pay much for it, it was very disappointing when I realized it was glass.

 

[T L]

They are often fracture filled. As far as I know, there are no synthetic, but they are simulated with heated synthetic spinel, or synthetic opal, or "opalite" (a milky glass with some blue in it) or even with plastic.

I have an opalite piece that was sold to me as moonstone. I had never seen a nice moonstone so was taken by the blue glow. While I didn't pay much for it, it was very disappointing when I realized it was glass.

From what I hear, and I could be wrong, opalite isn't a very good simulant if you've seen nice real moonstones in person. Did the blue sheen roll around the stone, like it was floating in there?

As for fracture filling and reconstituted moonstone, here's a GIA page on it. The samples look really cloudy though. I wonder if it's as prevalent on very clean material.

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FGGArticleDetail&cid=1355958213432&pagename=GST%2FDispatcher

Here's a short GIA video, and notice how the blue adularescence floats in the gem, and when you look at the bottom of the gem, it's even more noticeable at a certain tilt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7akovqGNMc

 

[lilmosun]

From what I hear, and I could be wrong, opalite isn't a very good simulant if you've seen nice real moonstones in person. Did the blue sheen roll around the stone, like it was floating in there?

No, it isn't a good simulant at all and I realized it as soon as I saw some of the real moonstones here. I bought it at one of those small shops that has cabinets of vintage costume and semi-precious stone jewelry. I didn't think to question it because I didn't think moonstones were expensive and didn't realize simulants existed. I now may just use it as a center piece for some beadwork I do as a hobby as its a pretty pendant but definitely not close to a real moonstone.

 

[T L]

From what I hear, and I could be wrong, opalite isn't a very good simulant if you've seen nice real moonstones in person. Did the blue sheen roll around the stone, like it was floating in there?

No, it isn't a good simulant at all and I realized it as soon as I saw some of the real moonstones here. I bought it at one of those small shops that has cabinets of vintage costume and semi-precious stone jewelry. I didn't think to question it because I didn't think moonstones were expensive and didn't realize simulants existed. I now may just use it as a center piece for some beadwork I do as a hobby as its a pretty pendant but definitely not close to a real moonstone.

I still haven't seen the synthetic spinel simulant, but I hear it's not a very realistic simulant either. Here's an opalite necklace in case anyone is wondering what it looks like.

 

[lilmosun]

Yep..that's what mine looks like...also telling is that it is inclusion free (it's a very large piece) except for a few small bubbles visible when louped...another telltale sign

 

[ilovegemstones]

Haha! I have that same necklace but with real moonstones that I bought 20 years ago in India!

 

[OreoRosies86]

PS has moonstone fever these days! Count me among the afflicted!

I've had moonstone fever for three years and only just received mine yesterday!

 

[lilmosun]

PS has moonstone fever these days! Count me among the afflicted!

I've had moonstone fever for three years and only just received mine yesterday!

Oh how exciting and the search will make it even more special. I wish I had the will power to wait for what I want. Will you post a picture?

ilovegemstones - your necklace must be stunning on

 

[Marlow]

Moonstone and other feldspars are gorgous ( no - not the one starting with an "a")

http://www.gahk.org/journal/2008/Moonstone.pdf

But difficult to seperate.

I have a beautiful one (labradorite) - colorless and eyeclean with a pinkorange shine...

 

[T L]

Moonstone and other feldspars are gorgous ( no - not the one starting with an "a")

http://www.gahk.org/journal/2008/Moonstone.pdf

But difficult to seperate.

I have a beautiful one (labradorite) - colorless and eyeclean with a pinkorange shine...

pic???????

 

[Marlow]

You have to wait a bit - my camera ( old Nikon Coolpix) died - will get a new one soon!!!

I purchased this stone around 15 - 20 years ago - a vendor offered completly colorless and inclusionfree cabs with green, golden and other shine - me stupid bought only this gem with a padparadscha like shine - never seen this quality again.

If anybody here has more information please share.

 

[MJO]

I have been collecting Oregon Sunstone for over 10 years. The latest find from the Butte Mine has some incredible colors. My favorite is a 9ct trilliant that changes colors between green, teal, red, orange and gold as it is rotated.

 

[Marlow]

I have been collecting Oregon Sunstone for over 10 years. The latest find from the Butte Mine has some incredible colors. My favorite is a 9ct trilliant that changes colors between green, teal, red, orange and gold as it is rotated.

Awesome!!!!!

Wonderful - and the red are all from Oregon??? WOW!!!

 

[MJO]

Yes they are all Oregon Sunstone. The greens are mainly from the Butte Mine and the Reds are from Plush. I have a few others as well including a 41ct multicolor carved by Dalan Hargrave and 41+ct shell carved by Will Cox.

 

[Marlow]

Womderful collection!!!!

 

[AGBF]

Back to the original topic: I would also trust Rick Martin as a vendor. I never bought moonstone from him, but I did buy an opal and a Stuller setting with two small diamonds. I was most satisfied and trust his expertise with gemstones. I tend to buy my diamonds from the bigger Pricescope diamond vendors because I have longstanding relationships with some of them, but I think Rick would be a great person to find a special semi-precious stone! I would go back to him in a flash.

Deb/AGBF

 

[MJO]

Sorry about going off topic. You are right Ricky has been a PS member and been very helpful as long as I can remember. I would trust him completely.

 

[thecat]

PS has moonstone fever these days! Count me among the afflicted!

It's really interesting when a gemstone suddenly becomes popular on PS. A few weeks ago there were lots of threads about Montana sapphires. Now moonstone. OP, I hope you find your moonstone!

I've had moonstone fever for three years and only just received mine yesterday!

I was browsing Barry's site when his white moonstone just grabbed me. I really like that one despite it not having the blue glow. But his moonstone will not fit into any standard stock setting that I can find on Stuller. Too long as compared to width. Custom is costly when the gem is relatively cheap. So I'm trying to find blue glowy moonstone in standard size now.

 

[thecat]

I have no idea if moonstones can be treated.

They are often fracture filled. As far as I know, there are no synthetic, but they are simulated with heated synthetic spinel, or synthetic opal, or "opalite" (a milky glass with some blue in it) or even with plastic.

Thanks for the info, TL. I will buy from a reliable vendor who can tell me if a moonstone is fractured filled then. I was hoping moonstone is one of those gems that there's no simulant/treatment.

Lilmosun, TL, thanks for the info on opalite. I saw many moonstones that look like opalite on Etsy. Maybe they really are opalite.

They are often fracture filled. As far as I know, there are no synthetic, but they are simulated with heated synthetic spinel, or synthetic opal, or "opalite" (a milky glass with some blue in it) or even with plastic.

I have an opalite piece that was sold to me as moonstone. I had never seen a nice moonstone so was taken by the blue glow. While I didn't pay much for it, it was very disappointing when I realized it was glass.

From what I hear, and I could be wrong, opalite isn't a very good simulant if you've seen nice real moonstones in person. Did the blue sheen roll around the stone, like it was floating in there?

No, it isn't a good simulant at all and I realized it as soon as I saw some of the real moonstones here. I bought it at one of those small shops that has cabinets of vintage costume and semi-precious stone jewelry. I didn't think to question it because I didn't think moonstones were expensive and didn't realize simulants existed. I now may just use it as a center piece for some beadwork I do as a hobby as its a pretty pendant but definitely not close to a real moonstone.

I still haven't seen the synthetic spinel simulant, but I hear it's not a very realistic simulant either. Here's an opalite necklace in case anyone is wondering what it looks like.

 

[thecat]

Haha! I have that same necklace but with real moonstones that I bought 20 years ago in India!

Show us your necklace!

Moonstone and other feldspars are gorgous ( no - not the one starting with an "a")

http://www.gahk.org/journal/2008/Moonstone.pdf

But difficult to seperate.

I have a beautiful one (labradorite) - colorless and eyeclean with a pinkorange shine...

Thanks for sharing, Marlow.

 

[thecat]

I have been collecting Oregon Sunstone for over 10 years. The latest find from the Butte Mine has some incredible colors. My favorite is a 9ct trilliant that changes colors between green, teal, red, orange and gold as it is rotated.

MJO, your collection is amazing!! Why don't you set some of them? Is it because they are too big to wear as pendants or rings?

 

[thecat]

Puppyguts, AGBF, thanks for the recommendations.