Different Types of Moonstones

Moonstone is a variety of the feldspar-orthoclase family that also includes Labradorite and Sunstone. It's a sodium potassium aluminium silicate ((Na,K)AlSi3O8) of the feldspar group that displays the moonstone effect, called adularescence, sheen, or schiller, which is only seen when the stone is illuminated and viewed from particular directions. During formation, orthoclase and albite separate into alternating layers. When light falls between these thin layers it is scattered producing the flash of color. Adularescence is the light that appears to flash. Moonstone is indeed a real gemstone,, as well as Rainbow Moonstone and Amazonite. Moonstone can be found the United States. It is the state gemstone of Florida, but you will not find natural deposits of it there. It became the Florida gemstone because of the moon landing. The vessel that landed on the moon took off from the Kennedy Space Center in the state. If you want to find Moonstone in the United States it is commonly located in beautiful and sunny New Mexico. It can also be found in a pretty wide number of world locations, including Brazil, India, Germany, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar, Mexico, and Tanzania. An alternative name for moonstone is hecatolite.