Durability and Hardness of Moonstone

Durability is one of the major elements to consider when buying fine jewelry. But what is the exact measure that a gemstone is durable? Its hardness is where the answer to this is. 

Gemstone hardness is a term used to refer to the ability of a gemstone to resist scratches, abrasions and day to day wear. This attribute is important in knowing the duration of your jewelry and the attention that it will require after usage.

The hardness of gemstone is generally estimated in Mohs scale, which ranks the minerals between 1 (softest) and 10 (hardest). 

What is Moonstone?

Moonstone is an attractive gemstone of feldspar group, which is famous for its fairy beauty and certain optical effects. As the name of the gem suggests, the moonstone has been the object of interest of gem lovers and jewelry admirers ever since its discovery by people due to its similarity to the glow of the moon. 

The adularescence which is the special quality of moon stone produces a soft floating light effect, which appears to vary with the movement of the stone, and this is what makes it an alluring jewel in the jewelry collection.

Moonstone: The Science

Moonstone mainly contains two kinds of feldspar orthoclase and albite. These minerals occur in layers and combinations of light and these alternating layers form the beautiful effects of visibility that moonstone has. Depending on the layers thickness, angle of light and the cut, the quality of adularescence may differ.

Hardness and Durability of Moonstone

The hardness of Moonstone is 6 on the Mohs scale which is used to determine the resistance to scratching exhibited by a mineral. This score places moonstone in the middle rank meaning that even though the material is relatively tough it is soft as compared to other gemstones like sapphires (hardness of 9) or diamond (hardness of 10). It is essential to know the hardness of moonstone to take care of it and make it suitably long-lasting.

Knowledge of the Mohs Scale

Mohs scale is used to classify minerals according to their scratch hardness. The following is a summary of the comparison of moonstone with other popular gemstones:

• Diamond: 10

• Sapphire: 9

• Emerald: 7.5 – 8

• Moonstone: 6

• Quartz: 7

This scale assists the gem lovers to know the types of stones that can be put together without leaving scratches or damage.

The Moonstone Composition

The composition of Moonstone is a little different with respect to the type of moonstone, even though the most popular moonstone consists of about 70 percent orthoclase feldspar, and 30 percent albite. 

This mixture forms the hypnotic adularescence moonstone is famous for. The feldspar orthoclase gives the framework and structure and albite layers help in the play of light in the gem.

Albite or soda feldspar is a white-coloured or translucent mineral that adds pink colour to the orthoclase feldspar. When the light enters the moonstone,it befalls these alternating layers of orthoclase and albite. 

The occurrence of the light scattering and bouncing back is attributed to the refractive index difference between the two minerals and the fascinating shimmering effect is observed.

The Role of Mineral Hardness

The mineral hardness is the resistance of a mineral to be scratched or abandoned. It is ranked on the Mohs scale where minerals are ranked between 1 (softest), and 10 (hardest). Knowledge of the hardness of a gemstone is important because it can be used to judge the longevity of the stone and its resistance to wear and tear.

Moonstone is 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale which implies that it is moderately hard. It is not as difficult as diamonds or sapphires but is durable enough to be worn on an everyday basis especially when put into a protective jewel setting like bezel or halo setting.

Interestingly, the hardness of the moonstone may vary based on particular composition. Impurities or an inclusion that is found in the gemstone can influence the overall durability of the gemstone. 

As an example, even moonstones containing a greater proportion of albite can be a little softer than moonstones with a greater proportion of orthoclase feldspar.

When attending to a moonstone jewelry, one should not expose the jewelry to rough chemicals or abrasives that might end up scratching the jewelry. To keep it shiny, it is possible to clean it with a soft lint free cloth and mild soap frequently.

Besides its special optical qualities and average toughness, moonstone is reputed to have metaphysical qualities. It is commonly linked with female energy and it is believed to enhance intuition, emotional stability and inner development. 

Moonstone is used as a talisman by many people or they use it when meditating to improve their spiritual relationship.

Venerated as a source of charm and enchantment with its adularescence, or valued as a material of moderate hardness, or desired due to some metaphysical characteristic, moonstone has kept and will keep jewelry lovers all over the globe amazed and impressed.

Determining the Hardness of Moonstone

Mohs scale of hardness is a practical tool that is used in the relative hardness of various minerals. It is founded on the scratching power of one mineral to another. The scale begins with talc at the top with one and then follows up with minerals of increasing hardness with diamond being the hardest mineral at position 10. The location of Moonstone on this scale will give a good understanding of how hard the gem stone is in comparison to other gems.