Peach moonstone is a soft peach-to-tan feldspar with a bluish sheen called adularescence. In crystal lore it is a stone of new beginnings, travel and the moon. At 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale it needs gentle care. Below: what it is, its history and what it means.
In crystal lore it is linked with feminine energy, protection and new beginnings, and with spiritual growth and emotional openness.
Many people wear peach moonstone as a charming bracelet.
The Physical Properties of Peach Moonstone
Moonstone is a potassium aluminum silicate feldspar that comes in shades of yellow, peach, pink, reddish, gray, green, and brown.
Peach moonstone has a tan brown to a light peach or pink colour which is easier seen in direct sunlight. This colouration is imparted by the presence of high aluminum contents in the stone.
With a Mohs hardness rating of 6-6.5, moonstone can chip and cleave at extreme pressure. So it should be stored in a hard protective case and must be cleaned using warm and soapy water.
Moonstones are popular for their optical property called adularescence, a bluish sheen below the stone's surface. This happens when light is reflected between the layers of albite and orthoclase within the stone.
The History of Peach Moonstone
For thousands of years, moonstone has been widely used as a talisman and decorative stone in ancient civilizations. The Greeks and Romans associated the stone with their lunar deities.
It was Pliny, a Roman natural historian, who gave the stone its name when he wrote about how moonstone changes its iridescent appearance with the phases of the moon.
Moonstone rose to popularity during the Art Nouveau (1890-1910) when jewellery designers used the stone in custom-made pieces.
This prominence persisted until the 19th century Arts and Crafts era. It would become a staple stone in hippies accessories and in the New Age movement in the 1960s and the 1990s respectively.
Moonstone can be found in many locations including Brazil, India, Madagascar. Sri Lanka, and the USA.
The Lore of Peach Moonstone
In the past, Romans linked moonstone to the moon goddess Diana and they believed that wearing moonstone could attract love, success, and wealth to their lives.
Asian myth claimed that the tide would bring blue moonstones every 21 years. Indians believed that the stone brought good luck to romantic partners and allowed them to read each other's future when the stone is placed in their mouth during a full moon.
It was also thought that placing a moonstone amulet on fruit trees helped them yield good crops.
At present, people associate moonstone with going with the flow of life and adapting to whatever comes their way.
The Metaphysical Properties of Peach Moonstone
Because of the many ways people have used it, the meaning of peach moonstone has evolved through the years. It is called many names including Dream Stone, Traveller's Stone, and Stone of New Beginnings to mention a few.
Peach moonstone is associated with acceptance, creativity, goodness and loving energy, and with pursuing what makes you joyful.
Being connected to the moon, peach moonstone is associated with feminine energy and, in folklore, with welcoming a new chapter in life.
Looking for a stone to keep nearby on a busy day? People hold peach moonstone as a calming focus object while they slow down and think things through.
In chakra work, peach moonstone is linked with open chakras and clearing negative energy.
It is connected with the crown, heart, sacral and solar plexus chakras, and people use it as a focus for harmony between these energy centres, linking loving feelings with personal will.
Sources:
American Gem Society. (2022, June 28). Moonstone Gem Discover the History of the Moonstone, the June Gem. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.americangemsociety.org/birthstones/june-birthstones/history-of-moonstone/#:%7E:text=History%20of%20Moonstone&text=Both%20the%20Romans%20and%20the,well%20after%20the%20sixteenth%20century.
americangemsociety. (2021, January 27). The Folklore of Moonstone. American Gem Society. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.americangemsociety.org/the-folklore-of-moonstone/#:%7E:text=This%20mysterious%20stone%E2%80%94which%20looks,love%2C%20wealth%2C%20and%20success.
International Gem Society LLC. (2021, February 18). What is Moonstone Gemstone? Value, Price, and Color - Gem Society. International Gem Society. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.gemsociety.org/article/moonstone-jewelry-gem-information/
Peach Moonstone: The Ultimate Guide to Meaning, Properties, Uses. (2021, July 7). Gemstonist. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.gemstonist.com/peach-moonstone/#Where_does_Peach_Moonstone_come_from
Rowe, H. (2022, March 9). Peach Moonstone: Meaning, Properties, Benefits & More! Crystal Viden Handy Advice On Crystals & Gemstones. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.crystalviden.com/peach-moonstone/
What is Adularescence? (2022, June 30). Geology In. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.geologyin.com/2017/01/what-is-adularescence.html
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Peach moonstone is a gentle, giftable colour for bracelets and tumbles; see our moonstone range to stock it.
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