adularescence
Definitions
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- noun (noun) The chatoyancy of the adularia variety of feldspar; the moon-like sheen of the moonstone, best visible when the stone is cut with a convex dome.
Examples
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My favorite gem is a blue moonstone. It's magical and has this great quality called adularescence, which makes a blue flash that is beautiful on the skin.
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Rainbow moonstones, those that not only have a billowy adularescence but also an opal-like iridescence, are a combination of orthoclase and labradorite feldspars.
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'I love for gems to have inclusions -- the more nonperfect it is, the more it fascinates me,' she says. 'But moonstones are a particular favorite. It's their adularescence -- it's a quality specific to moonstones, meaning they give off a billowy blue light.'
Jewelry artist Debra Rosen creates pieces to adorn and be appreciated, Cleveland.com
Note
'Adularescence' comes from 'adularia,' a kind of moonstone or feldspar, and the Latin '-escence,' process or state of being. 'Adularia' is named for Adula, a mountain group of southeast Switzerland.
