Virtue Silver Earrings - Moonstone

Silver 925 is an alloy consisting of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper

Moonstone is a mineral from the feldspar family, a variety of orthoclase also known as adularia. With a hardness of 6–6,5 on the Mohs scale, it’s a delicate stone yet full of character, prized not for a blinding sparkle, but for its vivid inner glow.

It forms in igneous rocks that cool very slowly. During this process, the mineral separates into alternating, microscopic layers of orthoclase and albite — and those very layers are the secret behind its beauty.

When light enters the stone, it scatters between these fine layers and creates an optical effect called adularescence: that bluish-silver sheen that seems to drift beneath the surface and move with the stone, like a moonbeam caught inside.

It’s precisely this play of light that gave it its name. The Romans were convinced that Moonstone is, quite literally, frozen moonlight, solidified as it fell — a belief that has endured for centuries.

In India, it has been considered for thousands of years a sacred, luck-bringing stone and a traditional gift for lovers, said to reveal the future to those who gaze at it on nights with a full moon.

It enjoyed a major moment of glory during the Art Nouveau period, at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, when jewelers such as René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany turned it into collectible pieces, valuing its dreamy color more than its material worth.

It surged back into the spotlight in the '60s–'70s with hippie fashion and a bohemian spirit, and it remains today one of the favorite stones for jewelry with a delicate, mystical feel.

Its base color ranges from milky white to delicate shades of gray, cream, or peach. There are also special varieties: the «rainbow» moonstone, with multicolored flashes, or the blue one, the most prized, in which the luster seems to ignite from within.

The finest specimens, with intense blue adularescence, come from Sri Lanka; other important sources are India and Myanmar. Every stone is unique, and the iridescence looks its best in direct light.

In crystal healing traditions, Moonstone symbolizes femininity, intuition, and new beginnings. It’s said to bring emotional balance, calm the mind, and spark creativity — which is why it’s often chosen as jewelry with personal meaning. It is also one of June’s birthstones.

Being a relatively soft stone with a cleavage that makes it sensitive to impact, it needs a bit of care. Protect it from shocks and scratches, and take off your jewelry before showering, swimming, or cleaning.

Avoid contact with perfumes and chemicals, and for cleaning use a soft microfiber cloth — no ultrasonic cleaners or harsh solutions.

Thanks to its discreet, luminous beauty, Moonstone shines brightest alongside 925 silver or white gold. It’s a perfect match for delicate rings, earrings, and pendants worn every day — a choice for anyone who loves jewelry with personality and a story behind it.

The zirconia used in jewelry (cubic zirconia) is a stone that’s entirely man-made.

It’s zirconium dioxide melted at over 2700°C and carefully crystallized to obtain a clear, inclusion-free stone.

It’s virtually absent in nature — a triumph of the lab.

It even has a Cold War backstory: it was perfected by Soviet scientists at the Lebedev Institute in Moscow in the 1970s, under the name “fianit”.

The result mimics a diamond’s fire so well that it has become the most popular sparkling and affordable alternative to diamond.

Good to know: it’s different from “zircon,” which is a completely separate natural gemstone.

Most often it’s colorless, mirroring diamond, but it can be produced in any color.

Its strong brilliance is beautifully showcased in 925 silver and gold.

As a modern stone, it doesn’t have its own symbolic tradition, but it’s loved for its sparkle and versatility.

With a hardness of 8–8,5 it stands up well to everyday wear, requiring only moderate care.

Clean it gently to keep its fire, and it’s right at home in everyday jewelry.