Feldspar var Albite (Moonstone) from Meetiyagoda, Sri Lanka

Feldspar var Albite (Moonstone) from Meetiyagoda (Mitiyagoda), Galle District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Bit of a mouthful, that title... to explain a little, these are specimens of Albite, a member of the Feldspar family. In the gem trade, they are typically known as Moonstone or rainbow Moonstone, and mineralogically they would be known as Feldspar var Albite.

These pieces come from Meetiyagoda, a small settlement in southern Sri Lanka which is a major producer of Moonstone of gem grade.

These pieces do typically have some flash of colour but it may not be the easiest to see - typically Moonstones are cut to the flash, and these are obviously rough and uncut.

These are often found in association with other minerals - intergrown with tourmaline, beryl, or mica.