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moonstone

 - 3 dictionary results

moon⋅stone

[moon-stohn]
–noun
1. Also called precious moonstone. a semitransparent or translucent, opalescent, pearly-blue variety of adularia, used as a gem.
2. any of several adularescent feldspars, as certain varieties of albite, labradorite, or oligoclase, used as gems.
3. (not used technically) any milky or girasol stone used as a gem.

Origin:
1625–35; moon + stone
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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moon·stone   (mōōn'stōn')   
n.  A variety of feldspar valued as a gem for its pearly translucence.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

moonstone

gem-quality feldspar mineral, a mixed sodium and potassium aluminosilicate, (K,Na)AlSi3O8, that shows a silvery or bluish iridescence. Nearly all commercial moonstones come from Dumbara District, Sri Lanka, where they occur in gem gravels and in acid granulites and pegmatites.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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