August: Moonstone

Moonstone beautiful moon-like qualities have made it a sacred stone for some, and associated with goodness as well as good fortune.

Its characteristic pearly, opalescent lustre has always made it highly valued.

Moonstone is a feldspar, like fluorite, and its name derives from the light diffraction that made the Romans believe it was born from solidified rays of the moon.

It has been used in jewellery for millennia, and became particularly popular during the Art Nouveau period. Today, it is the state gem for Florida to commemorate the moon landings, which took off from there.