Types of moonstone and its cost in rubles

Very often you can find jewelry on sale called moonstone. Moreover, these can be both jewelry and ornamental minerals and glass. Not all gems sold under this name are specifically lunar. But in order not to buy a fake, you need to know how much a moonstone costs in rubles?

Moon rock

Throughout the history of the existence of the moonstone - adularia - the qualities that were required for a mineral suitable for use in jewelry were the same:

• colorless, translucent or slightly opaque;
• has a blue shine, without brownish, greenish tints;
• inclusions are completely absent or invisible to the naked eye.

Real stone has properties such as blue color and glassy luster. When choosing jewelry with a stone, you should pay attention to factors such as the color of the stone itself, the color of its shine and its direction.

The shine of the stone is called “adulariscence”. Ideally, it should be blue and visible from most viewing angles. If visibility is limited, and there are a large number of inclusions and cracks, then its value immediately decreases significantly.

In most cases, the cut is made in the form of a cabochon. The quality of the cut also plays a role; the shape of the dome affects how much shine will appear in the product.

At the end of the 20th century, a green stone was discovered in India, which is now called the “green parrot”. This type of stone is very rarely found on sale.

Stones of this variety come in large sizes. However, in this case, this negatively affects their cost compared to smaller ones, because the larger they are, the more difficult it is to use as an insert in jewelry. Often the weight of the stone reaches more than 50 carats, which is impossible for use in earrings or bracelets. The decoration where such a stone can be inserted is a pendant. Although even a pendant with a stone of more than 50 carats will look too provocative.

Thus, large specimens (over 10 carats), even of the highest quality and size, lose up to 70% of their value. Commercial quality stones have inclusions and cracks. The base color can be brown, gray-green or yellow-gray. Only in a limited area can you notice a blue sheen. The price can range from 120 to 500 rubles per carat if the weight of the stone is up to 20 carats. Large stones can cost up to 200 rubles per carat.

The bulk of premium quality stones are colorless and translucent. In such a stone, the blue shine can be seen from any viewing angle. The price ranges from 1.5 to four thousand rubles if the weight of the stone is less than 20 carats.

The highest quality moonstone also has a colorless base. Its main difference from premium is that the shine is bright, visible from all sides, and the color is rich blue. For a gem of less than 20 carats, the price will range from four to 160 thousand rubles.

What is moonstone?

This is a natural adularia stone, which has become extremely widespread in the jewelry industry. This happened due to a number of parameters, to which he meets 100%, namely:

• Deep transparency, uninterrupted by visible impurities or internal formations.
• Variations in transparent, translucent or partially opaque origin (not including mechanical processing).
• Pure blue sheen under the first coat, no green or brown undertones.

“Adulariscence” is the actual name for the brilliance. It should have an exclusively bluish tint, with rays directed specifically at the eye, regardless of the side of the stone being viewed.

The only exception is the green variety of moonstone. It was discovered in India, in very limited quantities. All copies were processed and sold as limited lots. It is impossible to buy green adularia anymore.

How to distinguish an imitation from a gem?

Along with similar varieties of natural minerals, synthetic spinel is often passed off as moonstones. When growing its crystals, sometimes defects occur, expressed in the inclusion of air microbubbles in the monolithic structure. The resulting iridescence resembles the effects of belomorite or rainbow plagioclase. Products with defective spinel are often passed off as jewelry with moonstones, but their price is relatively low compared to natural gems. The easiest way to recognize this fake is by the price.

Decorative varieties of frosted glass with glitter inclusions are sold as inexpensive jewelry. Nevertheless, manufacturers consider it possible to designate inserts as “moonstone”. Purchasing such jewelry as amulets or talismans will be a waste of money.

Those hoping to purchase not just a piece of jewelry, but a magical companion in their own life, need to know how to distinguish natural minerals from counterfeits. The main feature, noticeable even to the untrained eye, is the constant iridescence of synthetic or glass “jewels”. The absence of asterism, that is, a clearly visible luminous stripe moving along the surface of the cabochon, should also be alarming.

Thanks to its layered structure, natural moonstone is able to glow, give the effect of flashes or pearlescent tints of color only at a certain angle to the surface. Having slightly turned jewelry with inserts made of adularia or other representatives of the species, even an inexperienced buyer may notice that the semi-precious inserts have lost their glow. The glass will shimmer constantly, since the sparkles are distributed evenly throughout its entire body.

Another sign of a natural gem is its high heat capacity. Glass (or synthetic stone) will become noticeably hot when squeezed between your palms. Natural crystal remains cool for a long time, practically not heating up from the warmth of the hand. This method can help to accurately determine the naturalness of a gem.

Silver ring with cubic zirconia and moonstones (go to the SUNLIGHT catalogue)

What does the price depend on?

First of all, the price greatly depends on the size of the stone itself. If it weighs more than 10 carats, then there is a natural loss of 70% of the value from the current market price. Small stones without impurities are popular. Thus, the current pricing policy is as follows:

• Stone weighing from 1 to 20 carats – 120-700 rubles. per carat
• From 20 to 50 carats – no more than 250 rubles. per carat

The latter position significantly loses in price, as it requires the implementation of complex processing technology. Moreover, their large size does not allow them to be used in popular jewelry items - earrings and rings.

Talismans and amulets

Any jewelry with a moon crystal are talismans and amulets that help the owner in their own way:

• a ring, ring or bracelet on the left hand will adjust the mood and help avoid conflicts when communicating with ill-wishers;
• an accessory on the right hand will develop talents and intuition;
• decoration will make the owner more tolerant and merciful.

The effect of moonstone increases with the growth of the crescent moon, reaching its maximum at the full moon.

Characteristics and price of commercially available copies

Blue adularia – 3,000 rubles:

• Weight – 1.07 Ct.
• Size – 9.0 x 7.0 x 2.4 mm.
• Cut - oval cabochon.
• Purity – Si.
• It was not subjected to heating during processing.

Light orange (+salmon) adularia – 2,300 rubles:

• Weight – 7.00 Ct.
• Size – 14.0 x 10.0 mm.
• The cut is similar to the previous one.
• Purity – opaque.
• Not heated.

Natural adularia (VS quality) – 38,000 rubles:

• Weight – 9.35 Ct.
• Size – 15.5 x 10.2 x 7.8 mm.
• The cut is similar.
• Blue color.
• Cleanliness – VS.
• No heating.

Physicochemical characteristics

Moonstone is a translucent mineral, potassium feldspar. The spectacular glow, called adularization, is created by the thin-plate structure of the crystal. Semi-precious or ornamental stone. Looks like chalcedony or synthetic spinel.

How to buy natural stone?

Due to its high cost, the number of counterfeits on the gemstone market has increased significantly. Having chosen the right stone, first of all, you need to exclude any impurities - even if they seem natural.

Secondly, adularia has an exclusively blue glow in the inner layers. If an examination at an acute angle shows the presence of pink, green or brown beams of light, the mineral stone turns out to be a fake or an item of extremely low quality.

Thirdly, it makes sense to buy only stones weighing up to 10 carats . It does not lose value, absolutely, under any economic conditions. Can be used both in earrings and rings. As for pendants for chains - no more than 30 carats. Beads can be an alternative.

Cheap, but problematic. What Sunlight Jewelry Buyers Face

Lost stones and problems with repairing jewelry are the main problems faced by customers at Sunlight jewelry stores. According to jewelers, the quality of fastenings on some products leaves much to be desired. And the stones in the diamond “paths” are too small. Russian masters simply don’t have those.

The Mystery of the Lost Stone

Most often, said jeweler Dmitry Kozlov, buyers contact workshops with complaints about stones falling out of products. The head of the Scientific Center for Certification and Evaluation of Jewelry "Uvard" Vladislav Yuzefovich explained that the stones fall out due to the fact that the products are produced in huge quantities, the setting is put on stream and is done on equipment, and not manually, as in reputable jewelry houses.

Photo source: Sunlight public page “VKontakte”

“In Sunlight products, small stones most often fall out - about a millimeter in diameter, which are simply automatically rolled up with a tape setting. Then, on a vibrating table or somewhere else, the quality control department inspects the products. If the stones do not fall out, the products are sent for sale,” he said.

Jewelry is usually transported in bags, not in individual boxes. Therefore, during loading and unloading, some products are damaged. After unpacking the goods in the store, at the bottom of some bags, Yuzefovich noted, there may be up to a dozen stones that fell out. Some fall off on the day of purchase or on the way to the buyer.

Photo source: Sunlight public page “VKontakte”

If the “change” falls out after the purchase, then there is no point in contacting jewelers. The minimum size of stones that Russian specialists work with is 0.01 carats, that is, about one and a half millimeters in diameter. And some rings or earrings can contain almost a hundred diamonds with a total weight of 0.33 carats. That is, the size of one stone is only 0.0036 carats.

“There are many complaints that buyers then turn to jewelers and about 90% are refused. Because we don’t produce such small stones,” the expert added.

They ruined the offer.

Sometimes larger stones fall out of jewelry. A girl who received a ring with a large topaz as a gift during a marriage proposal said that the stone lasted only a week in the setting. Fortunately, she and her fiance found it and took it to the jeweler.

Photo source: irecommend.ru

“We repaired the ring and returned the stone to its place. The jeweler warned that the ring itself was thin, there was not enough gold in the fastenings, and the stone could fall out again. I hope it doesn’t come to this, I try to be careful and take pictures one more time,” said the bride.

Yuzefovich explained that the words “not enough gold” mean that the “legs” of the fastening are too thin, which are simply unable to hold the stone in place.

“Many people, when trying on a ring, look only at how it looks on their hand. But it is more important to rub the ring on your clothes. Sometimes the protruding “foot” of the bartack is slightly open, clings to the clothing and pulls out the threads. They open the fastening even more and the stone falls out,” Yuzefovich added.

If stones fall out during wear, Yuzefovich recommended writing a statement and demanding to take the product back. And if Sunlight sellers state that the exchange and return of jewelry is impossible under the law, it is worth giving the jewelry to an independent expert who will confirm that the stones fell out not from an impact, but due to poor fastening. And then contact the sellers again.

Expensive jewelry

According to Yuzefovich, most of the available Sunlight jewelry is nothing more than expensive costume jewelry, extras, and not high-quality jewelry. Pawnshops accept such jewelry reluctantly, at very low prices, often as scrap. At the same time, small diamonds are not considered stones, because the equipment cannot determine their naturalness.

“We're talking about all these rings and earrings with 'paths' of stones. The volume of the stone is not enough for the beam to pass through it, decompose into colors and confirm its naturalness. Tons of such stones are grown in special frying pans,” the expert noted.

According to jeweler Dmitry Kozlov, some of the Sunlight jewelry he repaired was made well, others not so much. The latter were more common. The jeweler explained that it is impossible to maintain good quality with relatively low prices and high production volumes.

By the time the material was published, the press service of the Sunlight jewelry chain did not answer 360’s questions.

Medicinal properties

Ancient healers used raw minerals in their practice. Thus, the energy received by the stones during their origin is transferred to the patient. To do this, the mineral was ground into powder and taken orally.

Attention. Natural moonstones framed in silver were worn around the neck of women in labor. It was believed that they would protect women and their children, as well as facilitate the process of childbirth.

As in the magical field of application, the healing properties of the mineral are most clearly manifested when in contact with the skin. This is how he connects the spiritual and the physical. With this unification, mutual healing occurs depending on the source of the disease. Now this connection is called psychosomatics, but ancient minds identified this phenomenon before scientific works. Its medicinal characteristics include sedative properties. Wearing it can reduce anxiety, the risk of nervous breakdowns and establish a deep sleep phase. It will be useful for people with a mobile nervous system and increased sensitivity.

Another incredible healing property is the normalization of hormonal levels. This effect is especially relevant for people at a turning point in age (for example, menopause). For men, stable hormonal levels are also important. With age, testosterone levels in the blood decrease. And adularia helps maintain the stability of the body’s humoral system and normalize metabolic functions.

The described properties are only a fraction of what moonstone affects for humans. Its influence extends to a variety of organ systems and is manifested in:

• Improving visual acuity;
• normalization of blood pressure;
• removing stones and salts from the kidneys;
• reducing the risk of heart and vascular diseases.

The main aspect to enhance the effect is the belief in its exclusivity and strength. The brain is able to independently launch a program for healing the body if you firmly believe in the endowment of a certain object with incredible capabilities. If a moonstone gives you confidence, calm and a sense of security, it means it fulfills its functions and complements your aura.

How to spot a fake?

Natural moonstone
Due to the high price of the mineral from Sri Lanka, it is the one that is most often counterfeited. Imitation moonstone is painted glass or plastic. No matter how perfect an artificial stone is, it cannot replace the original, because it is incapable of shimmering so beautifully. The easiest way to distinguish a fake is to examine the crystal for the presence of rich iridescence in the light.

To be more convincing, adularia is tested for compliance with a number of conditions:

1. When held in your hands, the fake stone heats up, while the natural one remains cool.
2. The artificial product looks perfect, but the original has voids and bubbles.
3. Moonstones feel like silk.
4. At a right angle, a real crystal is not capable of spreading light, so if it shines at any angle, then it is glass or plastic, the price of which is much lower.
5. When in water, the color of the adularia becomes bright and saturated.

Carefully!

A fake gem looks more impressive at an attractive price. But the low price will allow you to become the owner of only a beautiful piece of jewelry without the healing and magical properties of natural stone.