This article was co-authored by Alisa Thorp. Alisa Thorp is a Jewelry Design & Ethical Gemstone Expert and the Co-Founder of Mercurius Jewelry. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in responsibly-sourced fine jewelry. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from Columbia University and is studying gemology at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
There are 23 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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There are thousands of beautiful gemstones worldwide, but few are as alluring as moonstones and opals. Both gems have an ethereal quality, and it’s common for moonstones to be mistaken for opals. Although both can have a milky color and blue shimmer, opals and moonstones have major differences in appearance and meaning. To help you choose your perfect gem, here’s a guide on everything you need to know about moonstones and opals.
Things You Should Know
- Moonstones and opals are two different gemstones. Opals come in endless colors, while moonstones are usually clear or white.
- Opals are more valuable than moonstones because of their rarity and uniqueness–no two opals are alike.
- Moonstones have a unique property known as adularescence, which gives the stone an ethereal sheen.
Steps
Expert Interview
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References
- ↑ https://www.gemsociety.org/article/moonstone-jewelry-gem-information
- ↑ https://www.gia.edu/birthstones/june-birthstones
- ↑ https://youtu.be/c1zKDrBA-pQ?t=66
- ↑ https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/opal-australias-national-gemstone
- ↑ https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/opal-australias-national-gemstone
- ↑ https://agta.org/education/gemstones/moonstone
- ↑ https://www.ga.gov.au/education/classroom-resources/minerals-energy/australian-mineral-facts/opal
- ↑ https://youtu.be/uX1xSWwYc14?t=69
- ↑ https://youtu.be/NhIswv_KVeM?t=137
- ↑ https://youtu.be/NhIswv_KVeM?t=76
- ↑ https://www.gemsociety.org/article/inclusions
- ↑ https://www.gemsociety.org/article/moonstone-jewelry-gem-information
- ↑ https://youtu.be/NhIswv_KVeM?t=84
- ↑ https://agta.org/education/gemstones/moonstone
- ↑ https://www.gia.edu/opal-care-cleaning
- ↑ https://www.gia.edu/moonstone-care-cleaning
- ↑ https://youtu.be/koAhnBVyWR0?t=173
- ↑ https://www.gia.edu/opal-history-lore
- ↑ https://youtu.be/PTfS5U2knfc?t=28
- ↑ https://youtu.be/oB663IWQzvk?t=62
- ↑ https://youtu.be/ULzr204lj-0?t=157
- ↑ https://howtofindrocks.com/are-moonstones-valuable/
- ↑ https://howtofindrocks.com/is-opal-valuable/
- ↑ https://www.ga.gov.au/education/classroom-resources/minerals-energy/australian-mineral-facts/opal
- ↑ https://www.gia.edu/moonstone-quality-factor
- ↑ https://www.gia.edu/opal-quality-factor
- ↑ https://youtu.be/8upjgBIZCVo?t=80