What is Moonstone Gemstone? Value, Price, and Color

Accompanying value information:

Moonstone Buying Guide

The International Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.

Generally, the more transparent and colorless the body and more blue the adularescence, the higher the moonstone value.

Cabochons of translucent material, either white or with pleasing body color and adularescence, are fairly common on the market and command relatively modest prices.

Moonstone cabochons. Photo by Adrian Pingstone. Public Domain.

Large quantities of near-opaque material with various body colors, carved into simple “moon faces” and other figures, are inexpensive and readily available.

On rare occasions, some transparent stones are faceted.

Square cushion-cut moonstone, 5.07 cts, 10.2 mm, Ziller Valley, North Tyrol, Tyrol, Austria. © The Gem Trader. Used with permission.

Historically, the most valuable colorless, transparent moonstones with strong blue sheen came from Myanmar. Unfortunately, this material is essentially mined out. Most of the top-grade, blue sheen gems available today are being passed from one dealer or collector to another, which escalates the prices.

For cat’s eyes and the occasional star, expect to pay in proportion to the beauty, size, and clarity of the eye or star.

Star moonstone, 16.08 cts, round cabochon, India. Photo courtesy of liveauctioneers.com and Jasper52.

For more information on moonstone quality factors, consult our buying guide.