June has three birthstones — pearl, alexandrite and moonstone — and moonstone is the one worth talking about. It's a feldspar with a trick: internal layers scatter light into a floating blue-white sheen that moves as you tilt it. The effect is called adularescence, and photographs never quite catch it.
Why moonstone suits June
The name is not decorative. Moonstone has been linked to the moon, its cycles and its supposed effect on intuition and emotion across several unconnected cultures, which is the kind of coincidence that tends to mean people were all looking at the same thing. For a June birthday — the hinge of the year, longest light — it's the stone of new starts.
What to look for when buying
Judge it by the sheen and nothing else. A moonstone that looks like plain grey stone from every angle has no adularescence and isn't worth having; a good one lights up from within as you move it. Charge it on the windowsill at the new moon.
The full guide to Moonstone covers its chakra, care and everyday uses. Born this month, you'll also fall under Gemini and Cancer — each has its own stones.
Moonstone in the shop
Every month's birthstone
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