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Gemstones, Minerals & Fossils
Gemstones and Minerals
Mt Franklin - Near Daylesford in VIC
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<blockquote data-quote="Lefty" data-source="post: 349905" data-attributes="member: 2976"><p>I'm a long way away - Queensland - but I think if there is clear feldspar there then it is <em>possible</em> at least that moonstone may be there also since they are essentially the same thing.</p><p></p><p>Moonstone hill in north QLD produces it as the name suggests - but as I understand it, the vast majority of the stones recovered are clear and colourless with no schiller effect, though the un-fractured ones make nice enough faceting material. A very small percentage of the feldspar there produces the irridescent blue (or very occasioanlly orange) schiller effect that results in it being called moonstone.</p><p></p><p>If you come across a piece of feldspar that is milky-translucent rather than properly transparent then you may possibly have a piece of moonstone. I haven't tried myself but if you have a suspected piece then a coating of glucose or very pale honey may cause the schiller to reveal itself when turned in the light (it has to be oriented properly to show the effect). There's probably other ways to do it as well.</p><p></p><p>I have a piece of feldspar from Springsure (referred to as "Springsure labrodorite) that partly shows the effect. The stone is mostly transparent but had a few little milky patches in it. I cabbed it and when turned the right way, the milky spots gleam a vivid irradescent blue. Too bad it's only in a few tiny patches.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lefty, post: 349905, member: 2976"] I'm a long way away - Queensland - but I think if there is clear feldspar there then it is [i]possible[/i] at least that moonstone may be there also since they are essentially the same thing. Moonstone hill in north QLD produces it as the name suggests - but as I understand it, the vast majority of the stones recovered are clear and colourless with no schiller effect, though the un-fractured ones make nice enough faceting material. A very small percentage of the feldspar there produces the irridescent blue (or very occasioanlly orange) schiller effect that results in it being called moonstone. If you come across a piece of feldspar that is milky-translucent rather than properly transparent then you may possibly have a piece of moonstone. I haven't tried myself but if you have a suspected piece then a coating of glucose or very pale honey may cause the schiller to reveal itself when turned in the light (it has to be oriented properly to show the effect). There's probably other ways to do it as well. I have a piece of feldspar from Springsure (referred to as "Springsure labrodorite) that partly shows the effect. The stone is mostly transparent but had a few little milky patches in it. I cabbed it and when turned the right way, the milky spots gleam a vivid irradescent blue. Too bad it's only in a few tiny patches. [/QUOTE]
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Gemstones, Minerals & Fossils
Gemstones and Minerals
Mt Franklin - Near Daylesford in VIC
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