Australians have a special liking for moonstone, the gemstone with its shimmer and soft floating glow is enriched with ancient traditions and beliefs. Queensland is one location where gemstone enthusiasts go to collect rough pieces of moonstone. The state is also home to The Moonstone Hill, a popular area with amateur gem hunters. Historic beliefs claim that the moonstone was formed from moonlight, the stone was even believed to reflect the phases of the moon. An interesting fact relating to Australian moonstone is that, very little of the rough found there is of gem quality. And yet, the Australians are truly fond of moonstone rings, the gentle appeal of the gemstone seems to draw women to the stone. Kasilver the global leader in online custom made jewelry, reports a consistent demand for cladagh moonstone rings from Australia. Kaisilver moonstone is sourced from the African continent, each piece of rough is closely inspected before being custom cut to perfection. The claddagh ring is regarded as the most meaningful jewel in history, it was first made more than 4 centuries ago by a young Irish fisherman turned slave named, Robert Joyce.
Back to Australia and the moonstone, here is some very interesting folklore. The shimmer in the moonstone is more scientifically understood today but, folklore is surely a lot more exciting. Many people across the globe related the moonstone to the moon, this was true of Australians too. There was a strong belief that the moon had a significant role to play in the formation of this elegant gemstone. If you hold a piece of cut and polished moonstone in your hand and look at it from different angles, the glow in the gemstone seems to float around. Centuries ago the belief was that, this movement reflected the phases of the moon.
We mentioned that much of the moonstone found in Australia is not of gem quality, let us elaborate a bit more. Moonstone could be found in a few colors but it is white moonstone, that flaunts the perfect shimmer effect. One important thing to note is that, rough moonstone when mined, shows little indication of shimmer and glow. Only an expert gem cutter can bring out the beauty in a moonstone. The piece of rough to begin with, should not be too transparent, a high degree of transparency will allow light to pass easily right through the stone. This is not suitable for delivering the shimmer on the stone. Sufficient opacity in the moonstone is required to show the optical phenomenon. Australian opals are generally too cracked internally or too clear (transparent). Having said that, it is true that not all people who believe in the special properties of gems wear their stones in a ring. Many people believe that keeping a piece of rough moonstone or a sphere in the bedroom, helps a person get sound sleep. This probably originated from an old India belief that, a piece of moonstone placed under the bed or pillow brought sweet and pleasant dreams.
Kaisilver: We maintain the same quality standards for gold and silver jewelry. You can pick any jewel from our websites and request for it to be made in gold or 925 silver with your choice of gemstone. We will gladly make a jewel for you with your own design concept or idea. Read the RG174 Moonstone Claddagh Ring Report and get to know more about this historic jewel. You will also get more information related to gemstone options and pricing. You can also email our support experts at sales@kaisilver.com with any questions or queries that you might have.