Opal and Moonstone are two remarkable gemstones with distinct color play and unique properties, including emotional, healing, and physical benefits, which hold significant importance in astrology. These two gemstones share similar qualities, but in reality, they are quite different in terms of value, color, properties, and astrological significance.
Many people often regarded the opal gemstone and moonstone as the same. So in this blog, we will clear all your doubts regarding the difference between moonstone and opal stone, and provide all the possible information and facts about opal and moonstone. Here are the differences, as listed below, that you may not have been aware of between these two gemstones.
Origin
Here are the detailed descriptions of both gemstones, along with their origins.
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Opal Gemstone
Opal gemstones are mainly found in Ethiopia and the Australian region, which produces approximately 90% of the world's high-quality and precious opals. All over the world, Ethiopian opals are considered best for their shiny, golden hues. However, they are only available in certain parts of the world. Apart from Australia and Ethiopia, Nevada, USA, also produces various types of opals, including fire opals, white opals, black opals, and lemon-colored opals.
Read also: Ethiopian vs Australian opal
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Moonstone
Moonstone can be found in various countries, including India, Madagascar, Armenia, Australia, and the United States, where large deposits of moonstone are located. However, Myanmar produces one of the finest and most transparent moonstones, characterized by a shining blue sheen. Additionally, Sri-Lanka has the best commercial value of moonstone.
Moonstone vs Opal: Color
Now, we will examine the color differences between the moonstone and opal stones, which make them unique and attractive.
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Opal Stone
You can see a wide variety of colors in the opal gemstones, including pink, black, fire, blue, green, and white opals. These opals have an average water percentage, which plays a crucial role in the varied play of colors when they come into light. The diffraction phenomena make the light rays bend in water, which results in rainbow colours that look stunning against the solid background color of the stone.
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Moonstone
Regarding the Moonstone, it has a shining effect on its surface. They have an optical effect known as Adularescence. It is like a blue sheen, which is inside the stone, making it unique. Additionally, Moonstone is also available in different colors, like white, blue, grey, and pink. The reason behind their shiny glitter is the layers of elements in the stone.
Physical Properties
Now, we are going to examine the physical properties of both opal and moonstone, and see what makes them different in terms of their physical properties.
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Opal Gemstone
The Opal gemstone is a very smooth opal stone that requires extra care when handling. It can be damaged easily because it has a hardness of 6.0 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. In terms of hardness, the opal gemstone ranks above average. It is composed of sedimentary rocks formed through the deposition of silica gel, with a chemical composition of SiO2 and a random atomic structure.
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Moonstone
Moonstone is made up through the igneous process, in which molten rocks cool and then form into the crystal. However, it has a similar hardness of 6.0 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, just like the Opal gemstone. As we observe from their physical properties, they differ from opals. Moonstone is a chemical composition of KAlSi308 with a crystalline structure. It has a specific gravity of 2.58 with a refractive index of 1.51 to 1.52.
Treatment
Let's compare the treatment of moonstone vs opal and study the differences between the two in detail.
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Opal Gemstone
Natural opals undergo various treatment methods, such as smoke treatment and sugar treatment, to enhance their appearance, add a play of colors, and finalize the gemstone for the market. Only some of the opals are in the perfect shape and ready to be put on the market; others will be sent for further treatment methods to enhance their appearance. Apart from this, to make a gemstone more marketable, opals undergo heat-related treatments, but this is not done regularly.
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Moonstone
Moonstones have a glittering appearance, which makes them shiny and attractive. They don't undergo any treatments. For the Moonstones, they need some polishing and small surface enhancements. This process also doesn't involve any chemical treatments for finishing the final look of the Moonstone.
Moonstone vs Opal: Astrological Significance
Opal and moonstones both hold paramount astrological significance, which we will explore in detail below.
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Opal Gemstone
Opal is one of the rarest gemstones, offering numerous benefits with minimal negative effects. It is a stone which is believed to have physical, astrological, and spiritual significance. One of the positive outlooks of the Opal gemstone is that it is believed to provide emotional stability to those who wear it. Additionally, it is also said that it will help in your mental health and channelise your energy in the right direction. Opal gemstones are also known to provide financial growth to the person who wears them, and are deeply associated with purity, hope, love, and innocence.
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Moonstone
Moonstone is believed to help in good fortune and insight. It is believed that wearing a Moonstone helps stimulate sensuality, inner goodness, emotional balance, and physical and mental health. it is said that a woman who wears this moonstone will have all the stress and anxiety. One of the main Astrological significances of wearing the Moonstone is that it sharpens your skills, which helps in creative thinking.
Moonstone vs Opal: Value and Popularity
Let's examine some of the major differences between the price and popularity of opal vs moonstone.
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Opal Gemstone
As it comes to the value of the Opal gemstones, there is no comparison between Opal and Moonstone. Opals are miles ahead of Moonstones. Oplas are expensive and and if we talk about the price, then Fire opal and white opals are their most expensive, which can range from 100$ to 10,000$ per carat. The price depends on the tone, pattern, origin, and clarity of the text. Boulder opal is the most affordable type of opal available for purchase. As we discuss the popularity of Opal, it gained popularity during the early 20th century, during the Art Nouveau period, due to its vibrant play of colors.
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Moonstone
Moonstones are less valuable than opal gemstones and have a price range starting from $5 to $500 per carat. Moonstones can be kept for a long time if they have been handled with care. Apart from this, Moonstones are more popular for jewelry pieces and have a more attractive and glittering appearance. Moonstone is regarded as a stone of feminine goddess energy.
Moonstone vs Opal: Cleaning and Caring
Let's examine the differences between moonstone and opal. How much difference is there between stone cleaning and caring?
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Opal Gemstones
An opal weighs approximately 25%, for which you will need to take extra coverage. Cracks can appear on the surface of your opal gemstone if you don't take care of it regularly. Regarding the hardness of opals, they are average. If you own an opal stone or jewelry, it is recommended to keep it in a velvet pouch to prevent scratches and avoid unnecessary damage. And if you lose your opal color somehow, then place it in distilled water for a few days to regain its color and get its shiny, attractive look back.
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Moonstone
Moonstone requires less maintenance compared to opals. It is strictly advised that you shouldn't keep your Moonstone in direct sunlight for a long time, as it may lose its glittering shine, and you should not take your Moonstone near any chemicals, as it can lose its shine. For cleaning your Moonstone, avoid using a brush and hot water, as it can result in scratches on the surface of the Moonstone.
Armonia: One-Stop Online Gemstone Shopping Destination
It is believed that wearing a natural gemstone can help alleviate stress and anxiety, and provide emotional, physical, and mental healing benefits. If you are someone who loves to collect rare and beautiful gemstones around the globe, or are looking for perfect opal jewelry gifts for your loved ones, then Armonia Gems is the ideal option for you. Armonia Gems provides you with the finest quality of opal gemstones. So, get your authentic lab-certified gemstones from the Armonia gems in different colors and sizes.
