Moonstone: With its ghostly glow, this feldspar stone almost seems magical. High-quality rainbow moonstone is usually chatoyant and sometimes displays a strong cat's eye. The floating-light phenomenon and sheen of moonstone are called adularescence or schiller. The light is scattered by alternating layers of two kinds of feldspar and produces a misty luster of white, dull yellow, yellow-gray or greenish-gray. The stone's main color also comes in shades of peach and gray. Incipient cleavage cracks often are visible inside the gemstone. Rainbow moonstone is a close relative of labradorite. It can be confused with selenite gypsum, but while selenite is very soft and can be scratched with a fingernail, moonstone is relatively hard. Moonstone is the birthstone for June in Europe, and in the United States it shares that distinction with alexandrite and pearl.

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