Peach moonstone is a warm-toned variety of moonstone, the feldspar famous for adularescence: a soft, floating glow that drifts across the stone as it moves. The effect comes from light scattering between ultra-thin layers of two intergrown feldspars, and in peach moonstone it plays over a gentle apricot body colour tinted by traces of iron. Most material comes from India and Madagascar. Moonstone has been linked with the moon since Roman times, which is fair enough, because a good stone really does look moonlit.
Like all moonstones, it is a feldspar with cleavage, so despite a hardness of 6 to 6.5 it can split under a sharp knock. Wear it happily in pendants and earrings, and choose protective settings if you want it in a ring. It is cut as high-domed cabochons, since the dome is what makes the glow roll across the surface. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and knocks against hard surfaces, and clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
All feldspars: rainbow moonstone has blue flashes where labradorite has colourful ones, and sunstone sparkles instead.
