#geology of Rainbow Moonstone – #crystals #moonstone #labradorite #science #stones #earth
#geology of Rainbow Moonstone – #crystals #moonstone #labradorite #science #stones #earth
Lets talk about the #geology of Rainbow #moonstone:
Rainbow Moonstone is a type of Plagioclase Feldspar and is actually not the same as typical Moonstone, but more of a cousin. Typical Moonstone is an Orthoclase Feldspar, so it’s actually more scientifically accurate to refer to Rainbow Moonstone as a type of White #labradorite.
Rainbow Moonstone can be formed through igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic processes. Its most famous feature is an iridescence which may be white, blue, or a full rainbow. This shimmer is called the “schiller effect” and is caused by tiny layers of various Feldspar minerals (most notably Albite) which are laid down during the crystallization process.
It is commonly referred to as Moonstone because of its adularescence, but this light effect is actually caused by the same effect that causes adularescence in Labradorite which is referred to as the “Schiller Effect”. The Schiller Effect results from scattering light of different layers of thin feldspar sheets within the rock. When light enters the rock and strikes a twinning surface, it reflects the light off of the surface and the color you see is the color of light that is being reflected off of the twinning surface. Different twinning surfaces in the rock result in different colors of light being reflected.
On Mohs scale of mineral hardness Rainbow Moonstone grades as a 6 to 6.5.
Most of the Moonstones on the market come from India, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. Other notable deposits are in Australia, Austria, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States
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