Moonstone is a favorite and very popular crystal. It’s one that many of us are attracted to for its trademark blue flash.  Everybody loves that inner sparkle,  right?  Today, we’re going to talk all about moonstone’s healing properties, correspondences, and meanings.

Although Rainbow Moonstone is so gorgeous with that flash, it’s certainly not the only type of moonstone. And, it’s technically not Moonstone as it’s commonly referred to it in the trade. We’ll get to that in a bit here.

While it might be the first one that comes to mind because we are most familiar with seeing the rainbow variation in jewelry, there are many different kinds of Moonstone and it can get a little confusing…

But no worries because as always, I’ve got your back!! We will geek out on the geology below.

So, first, let’s talk about Moonstone’s metaphysical properties.

Moonstone Properties + Correspondences

Moonstone is all about:

• Lunar Energy
• Water Connection
• Goddess Energy
• Divine Feminine Energy
• Intuition

It’s ideal for allowing you to tap into your intuition more efficiently.

Moonstone, as the name implies, helps you tap into lunar energy and feminine qualities as the crystal is associated with the Moon, which also rules emotions. Many women find working with moonstone along with our lunar cycles quite effective. However, others may find that they get too emotional if they work with this stone around the Full Moon.  You’ll have to try it for yourself and see how it works for you 😉

Moonstone Geology

Moonstone is a feldspar mineral specifically made up of orthoclase and albite. Other crystals in the feldspar group include:

• Labradorite
• Sunstone
• Amazonite

Now before I go any further, let us straighten out this Rainbow “Moonstone” confusion:

Here is where it gets a little confusing. Although Moonstone is commonly known as “Rainbow Moonstone” (even in geology classrooms and in the trade), it’s not REALLY Moonstone (orthoclase) at all. Instead, it’s actually a fellow feldspar mineral; a type of Labradorite. If you’ve ever seen that blue flash on Labradorite you can probably see how they’re “close cousins”. Since the name “Rainbow Moonstone” is widely accepted and considered by the professional trade as “Moonstone”, I’m comfy with including it here as a Moonstone. Just wanted you to be aware of that little tidbit.

The one thing that unites all Moonstones is their adularescence. Adularescence is caused by the reflection of light between the layers of minerals. This pearly metallic iridescence is what tends to be most important in the mineral trade. In the trade, it is not as important what the mineral is made of — but rather that it has that distinctive + captivating magical flash of light that seems to move across the crystal’s surface.

Moonstone has a Mohs Hardness of 6 to 6.5, which is a bit softer than quartz but still relatively hard. This hardness score makes it ideal for jewelry.

This mineral comes from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, India, Brazil, Madagascar, Australia, and also the U.S. In some deposits, Moonstone commonly grows alongside Black Tourmaline (and less commonly alongside Smokey Quartz).  Hence, when you sometimes see black inclusions (in this cut and polished piece pictured below, for example) that’s Black Tourmaline and the translucent brown is Smokey Quartz. You’ll often see this show up in spheres or palm stones, but the higher-quality gemstones used in jewelry usually don’t have these inclusions.

This amazing cut and polished specimen belongs to Team HM’s Content Manager, Lisa. See that telltale blue flash at the top?

Types of Moonstone

Besides the rainbow variety (being the most popular) other varieties include black, peach, white, gray, brown, and colorless. These all have slightly different energies, but as a general rule, they all maintain feminine lunar qualities.

Here’s a brief list of the different types of Moonstone and their primary metaphysical properties:

• Rainbow – Divine Feminine Energy and Intuition
• Peach – Nurturing and Mothering
• Brown, Gray, White – Lunar energies and emotions; gray moonstone is often referred to as “Black Moonstone”
• Colorless – Usually has a white flash; invites awakening and connection to Source Energy and your Higher Self

Sometimes, Labradorite is referred to as “Black Labradorite” but this is not correct. Technically, a very dark or blackish stone with the grey and the telltale blue flash is actually Labradorite and not “Moonstone” — and it’s not orthoclase either as already mentioned above.

Chakras

The white and rainbow varieties are often associated with the Third Eye and Crown chakras and have the vibrational frequencies of white and rainbow prism energy associated with the upper chakras.

Moonstone is also used to balance the Sacral Chakra – and in this way, the peach variety works amazingly well!

Colorless Moonstone is ideal for working with the Crown chakra and the higher transpersonal chakras.

Balance with Moonstone

Now, when it comes to certain annual celestial energies such as solstices + equinoxes, I get totally immersed. As the seasons change and the wheel of the year turns, I like to mark special days like the Spring and Autumn Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Winter Solstice.

My go-to pair for working with balancing equinox energies is Moonstone and Sunstone. 

This combo is great for bringing in balance and harmony.  I have a sphere of each that feels beautifully balanced and I hold one in each hand during meditation. Alternatively, I’ll use these stones on my altar within my sacred space or in a crystal grid to honor these energies.

Why these stones?

Sunstone is all about solar, enlightened male energy…

right?

And we’ve looked at how this crystal is just the opposite: lunar, enlightened female, intuitive energy.

With these two energies working together, it is only natural to find the balance of Yin and Yang, Solar and Lunar, Sun and Moon.  The vibrational frequencies of these stones are perfect for reminding us to stay balanced in all aspects of our lives.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this in-depth look at Moonstone!

Do you have any Moonstone in your crystal collection?  What’s your favorite way to work with this feminine stone? Please share in the comments below.

Crystal Blessings,