The Sphere: Light Gray, Almost White, Almost Silver

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It is found in all colors including: It often contains organic material and mineral oxides which give it interesting patterns, bands and colors. Many of these patterns resemble landscapes with mountains and valleys, thus the name "picture" is part of the name of many well know jaspers. Jasper was a favorite gem in ancient times and is referenced in Greek, Hebrew, Assyrian and Latin literature.

Found worldwide, a wide variety of named jaspers is found in the western areas of the Unites States; California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Washington. Picture jasper is a petrified or silicated mud that dripped into gas pockets in molten lava. It became superheated and then solidified forming the unusual banded patterns which are typical of this stone. K2 — Afghanite in Granite. This is a stone with a striking visual appeal! Trace amounts of manganese give this pink to violet variety of spodumene its feminine glow. A relative newcomer to the gemstone stage, kunzite was only confirmed as a unique variety of spodumene in the early part of the twentieth century.

Some consider kunzite to be an alternate birthstone for February. The pegmatites that yield kunzite are also a source of lithium.

Tourmaline

Kyanite is named after the Greek word for "blue". Its color indeed can make it a lovely gem with a near sapphire-like blue. Usually its color is blue but also can be colorless, white, gray, green or yellow. Color is often not consistent throughout the crystal, often showing white streaks in a medium blue.

Luster is vitreous to almost pearly. Its variable hardness is a significant characteristic that has to be taken in consideration by the gem-cutter. Hardness is 4- 4. Kyanite is believed to aid self-expression, communication and supernatural abilities. In ancient times it was believed that a kyanite suspended from a human hair could fallow the Earth's magnetic force like a compass needle. In those times travelers took kyanite along with them, when they entered unknown territories.

Laboradite - Named after Labrador, Canada, where it was found in , it is also found in Finland, Madagascar, and Australia. When viewed at certain angles, labradorite exhibits such captivating color it led to Eskimo legends stating that the Northern Lights shone down on the shores of Labrador and were captured inside these colorful stones.

The spectral play of color is a result of tiny, desirable inclusions. Labradorite is thought to be a magical stone that possesses powerful protective properties and helps its wearer to find their true path in life and provide its wearer with insight, and to bring peace to its wearer.

It is a It combines various minerals, mostly lazurite, but also contains calcite white , sodalite blue and pyrite fools' gold, a metallic yellow and to be considered a mineral it would have only one component. One of the most famous uses was in the mask of Tutankhamen. The Egyptians used Lapis for seals, ground it for an eyelid cosmetic and often carved it into vases and figurines.

A soft stone, 5 It has been worn in the belief that it will protect the wearer from evil and is considered one of the power stones in the universe and is said to be good for your psychic awareness. Larimar— was originally discovered in by a Spanish priest. It has an extraordinary blue appearance similar to the color of the ocean in tropical areas and is found in only one square mile of the earth in the Dominican Republic. The name "Larimar" comes from a combination of Larissa and Mar and was given to the stone by a Dominican who named the stone after his daughter Larissa and Mar, the Spanish word for sea.

Its real name is Pectolite, and ranges from on the Mohs scale. Due to the rarity of the stone, better quality Larimar is scarce which is why shapes are often freeform, utilizing as much of the natural stone as possible. Its powers are believed to helps us view events from different perspectives, to soften and enlighten, to heal the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual body. Larimar represents peace and clarity, healing and love.

Larimar is reputed to be helpful for those experiencing stress and anxiety. Metaphysically, Larimar is often associated with Atlantis. It is also said to have the ability to draw one soul mate to the wearer. Malachite is a popular stone which has light and dark green banded areas. Many beautiful specimens of malachite contain special combinations with other minerals, such as azurite, cuprite, or chrysocolla.

Malachite has a long history as a gem. The Egyptians used it as early as BC. In the Middle Ages people in Europe often hung malachite on cradles to assure peaceful sleep for their children and protect them from witchcraft. It ranges between 3. Its powers are said to include: It is worn to detect impending danger, and is assumed to break into pieces when danger is near. It is the guardian stone of travelers and promotes inner peace and hope and provides protection and security. Malachite clears and activates the chakras and attunes to spiritual guidance.

It opens the heart to unconditional love. Moldavite is a member of the tektite family. The most popular theory is that about 20 million years ago a meteorite shower fell in the Moldau Valley of Czechoslovakia and the result of this shower was moldavite, a rare crystal of a bottle-green, translucent hue. Colors range from medium dark to yellowish grayish green. Moldavite has been prized by numerous cultures for more than 25, years.

Moldavite is legendary for improving career and relationship matters. Wear the ancient secret used for millennia to decrease anxiety, increase confidence, improve relationships, and alleviate health issues. Moldavite can give instant relief for panic and anxiety.

It is believed to be one of the 12 power stones of the Universe. It was once believed if you held one in your mouth during a full moon, you could see your future. Its internal structure scatters the light and creates a phenomenon called adularescence. Legends say that moonstones bring good luck. It is the birthstone for June.

It is mainly found in India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. In India, moonstone is known as a sacred stone and is believed to bring good fortune. It is a highly prized gift for lovers as it arouses tender passion. Mother-of-Pearl is similar to pearls in chemical composition, but unlike a pearl, which is the result of nacre secretions emitted to protect the mollusk from a foreign irritant entering the shell, mother-of-pearl comes from the actual shell of the animal.

This natural secretion of calcium carbonate and aragonite causes the two main visual aspects that define mother-of-pearl: Although far more abundant, and therefore, far less valuable than pearls, mother-of-pearl has been a major component in jewelry and decorative arts for thousands of years. From ancient Egypt and Persia, to ancient China, mother-of-pearl has been a prized semi-precious gemstone throughout human history. As part of the shell building process, the mollusk will deposit layers of calcium carbonate held together by an organic horn-like compound called conchiolin.

This combination of calcium carbonate and conchiolin is called nacre or mother-of-pearl. It is said to promote enjoyment of life, release of negativity and stress, relaxation, positive self expression, and physical and emotional healing. Ocean Jasper radiates positive energy and helps one to feel, speak and act more positively.

Spiritually, it is said to help release 'stuck' or limiting patterns that may cause physical imbalance or disease. Physically it is said to help with regeneration of tissues in the body, healing of organs, balancing the glandular system, stabilizing the thyroid and assisting the endocrine system. Onyx is a chalcedony quartz that is mined in Brazil, India, California and Uruguay. It has a fine texture and black color; however some onyx also displays white bands or ribbons against a black or brown background and this variety is known as sardonyx.

The name comes from the Greek word onyx which means nail of a finger or claw. Because no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned them into stone which later became known as onyx. Originally, almost all colors of chalcedony from white to dark brown and black were called onyx. Today when we think of onyx we often preface the word with black to distinguish it from other varieties of onyx that come in white, reddish brown, brown and banded.

Onyx is thought to increase regeneration, happiness, intuition, instincts and also thought to decrease sexual desire and helps to change bad habits. General opal classifications are: Boulder opal is a nodule or concentration that was deposited as a thin layer in the matrix of ironstone, basalt, sandstone, etc. These concentrations can occur as round or elongated ellipsoids, or as horizontal bands.

Bolder opal from Queensland, Australia — one of the only known sources for true boulder opals — has gained in popularity and price because of its availability, display of colors and superior stability. Mexico has a special place in the opal world. It produces both precious opal and common opal that is called "fire opal" because of its yellow to orange to red body color. Some specimens of fire opal can be faceted because of their high clarity, but most fire opal is somewhat cloudy. This cloudiness in precious opal, which comes from internal structures such as the balls that defract the light, is called opalescence.

Peruvian opal is relatively rare and is only found in the Andes mountains near San Patricio, Peru. It is a very translucent stone with color similar to the Caribbean Sea. Depending on how the stone is cut it can be clear, scenic showing varying degrees of color or dendritic which has black fern like inclusions. Peruvian opal ranges between 5. Orthoceras are from the Devonian Period and are more than million years old and are the earliest recognizable animals Orthoceras fossils really inspire the imagination. They were fearsome hunters. Their head grew tentacles and they had a sharp beak in the center of their mouth.

The crystallized chambers make a bright contrast to the dark black or brown matrix that surrounds the fossil. Craftsmen polish this matrix to bring out the details of the fossils. They are ancestors to the modern day squid. Even though they were among the earliest forms of life, this class of nautiloid is still considered one of the most intelligent forms of ocean life. The Orthoceras ranged in size from a few inches in length to over six feet! They could swim as well as crawl on the ocean floor. By filling the chambers in their shells with air they could float through the seas propelling themselves by squirting jets of water.

As they died their shells accumulated upon the ocean floor, and then were covered by sediments they transformed into stone over the ages. Having a long straight shell their fossils have an iridescent gemlike quality when polished. This petrified wood was called peanut wood by the first people who found it, because they obviously thought that the light colored areas resembled peanuts.

These light colored areas are what used to be boreholes in the original wood. Before the wood was petrified, it was washed into the ocean as driftwood.

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It was then attacked by small marine shellfish called "Teredo" They bore a small tunnel into the wood and eventually the entire piece can be riddled with boreholes. When the wood became waterlogged, it then sank to the bottom of the ocean and settled into the mud.

The boreholes then filled with the light colored sediment and then began to petrify. It is found along the edges of the Kennedy Ranges about miles inland from the coastal town of Carnarvon, Western Australia. The age is Cretaceous which makes it around 70 million years old. The fibrous materials have then been reformed and naturally recemented together by quartz.

Stones and crystals that go through this process create a finished product with multiple colors, hues, and superb chatoyancy that can form in swirls, swathes, and fibrous segments and give it a change of color that moves along the surface of the gemstone as it is viewed from different angles. African Pietersite is the most sought after due to its wide range of colors, of which blue is the rarest.

Pearl is the official birthstone for the month of June. An organic gem, pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters and mussels. They are formed when an irritant such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusk's shell. A lustrous substance, called nacre, is secreted around the object to protect the soft internal surface of the mollusk.

As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is formed. Light that is reflected from these overlapping layers produces a characteristic iridescent luster. This process of building a solid pearl can take up to seven or eight years. The most valuable pearls are perfectly symmetrical, relatively large and naturally produced. They have a shimmering iridescence which is called orient luster. Chinese pearls come mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds, whereas Japanese pearls are found near the coast in salt water.

This method was first used in ,. Pearls vary in color from white to those with a hint of color, often pink, to brown or black. Each coloration will depend on the type of mollusk and the water where the mollusk lived. Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to extreme heat, acids, dryness, and humidity. Care should be taken when storing them. Pearls are quite "soft" and range between 2.

They should be protected from extreme wear. The coasts of Polynesia and Australia produce mainly cultured pearls. Both freshwater and saltwater pearls are cultivated in Japan and China. Cultured or freshwater pearls are considered to offer the power of love, money, protection, and luck. Pearls are thought to give wisdom through experience, to quicken the laws of karma and to cement engagements and love relationships.

They are thought to keep children safe. Early Chinese myths told of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fought. Ancient legend says that pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods and the Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying. The pearl is considered to be an emblem of modesty, chastity, and purity; and they symbolize love, success and happiness. Legend says that peridot was one of the favorite gemstones of Cleopatra and that some of the "emeralds" worn by her were actually peridot.

It is thought to bring the wearer good luck, peace, and success,. Its powers include health, protection, and sleep. The advantages of peridot are to attract love and calm anger while also soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotions. Prasiolite is a gem with which one can really be confused.

It is traded with variety of names and sometimes mistaken with expensive gems like Green Beryl, Peridot and Tourmaline. Inexpensive, but a true collector's gemstone. The name, prasiolite has been derived from the Greek words "Prason" and "Lithos," which mean 'leek,' due to color similarities with vegetables, and 'stone' simultaneously. It is believed that prasiolite facilitates the gap between the physical and spiritual aspects of life. It attracts prosperity through strengthening the mind, emotions and will. The color of prasiolite varies from pale yellow green to that with the deeper shades of green.

This stone is ideal for everyday wear and it is perfect for a wide variety of applications. The hardness of prasiolite is 7 on Mohs scale. Prehnite is a relatively rare Calcium mineral that was named after Dutch Colonel Hendrik von Prehn when it was discovered in Prehnite is known in China as Putao Yu, or "Grape Jade" due to its nodular crystal habit which can appear like a bunch of pale-green grapes. Prehnite exhibits a distinct pearlescent mother-of-pearl effect.

Although prehnite is a relatively common mineral, especially in basalts, the gem variety of prehnite is considered rare. With a hardness of 6 to 6. It is also a tough stone that is suitable for high quality jewellery. One unique characteristic of prehnite is its ability to "glow" in sunlight. Psilomelane is often banded with gray pyrolusite and the alternating layers make an attractive polished stone with bands of metallic gray and submetallic black. Psilomelane is a stone that is considered excellent for gazing and scrying. It is used in mysticism for out of body travel and gazing at any distance.

It is an essential ingredient in steel and other alloys. Quartz is the most common mineral on Earth. It is found in nearly every geological environment and is a component of almost every rock type. It is also the most varied in terms of variety and color. Quartz is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Rutile is a major ore of titanium, which is a metal used for high tech alloys. It often forms needle-like crystal inclusions inside quartz. This form of quartz is known as rutilated quartz and it looks like small bars of imbedded gold. Rutile is a 6 on the Mohs scale. Because of the difference in hardness between the two materials and because of the way rutile forms inside, this can be a difficult stone to attain a smooth surface without pits. Rutilated quartz has been referred to as Cupid's darts, Venus hair stone and Fleches d'amour.

The name quartz comes from the Saxon word querklufterz which meant cross vein ore. The name rutile comes from the Latin word rutilus meaning red. It is said to brings forth each person's strengths, originality, aids sleep, relate to others. Rutile is said to intensify the metaphysical properties of its host crystal and to enhance one's understanding of difficult situations. It is also said to enhance creativity and to relieve depression and loneliness.

Rutilated quartz is said to slow down the aging process and is said to be a strong healer. On most of the Roman coins you will see fine detailed portraits depicting the emperors of that time. Sometimes you will also see other important figures such as their wives, generals, or dignitaries. Most of the reverses have symbols such as Victoria victory , Concordia harmony , or Fortuna fortune just to name a few. This is because each coin was struck by hand with different alignments, different pressures, and sometimes different temperatures at each strike. It is helpful to know some of the abbreviations: The major categories of Roman coins were: Rhodochrosite, mined in Argentina, occurs as a hydrothermal vein mineral along with other manganese materials in low temperature silver ore deposits, and until quality mineral specimens became highly sought after by collectors, they were often discarded in the mine dump!

The Incas believed that Rhodochrosite is the blood of their former rulers turned to stone. So it is sometimes called "Rosa del Inca" or Inca Rose. Rhodonite, another pinkish stone, is often confused with rhodochrosite because the base color is similar, but most rhodonite used for jewelry purposes contains black manganese oxides while rhodochrosite is banded with white. Rhodochrosite is a relatively soft stone and ranges between 3.

Rose Quartz is the stone of love and for the Heart Chakra. While the pink color may exude a gentle and soothing energy, it is an incredibly powerful stone. It encourages the release of stored tension and stress, the banishment of anger and resentment, the release of fear and suspicion, and rebirth of hope and faith in the benevolence of the Universe.

Placing Rose Quartz in a room will promote an atmosphere with loving and compassionate energies. For those seeking to develop love on all levels, Rose Quartz is a supreme ally. The name "ruby"is Latin for 'red. Rubies belong to the same mineral family corundum as sapphire, and are both the hardest, and toughest gems in the world after diamond. They are formed by intense heat and pressure, deep within limestone rich in clay. Rubies can be deep vivid red to pink, purplish to orange-red.

Myanmar and Thailand are the best sources for rubies. Medieval Europeans wore it to grant health, wealth, wisdom and success in love. Ruby Zoiscite is an ornamental material consisting of crystalline aggregates of green zoisite with non transparent ruby inclusions it is found in Tanzania and the general appearance is unmistakable. There isn't another stone like it in the mineral world. The green zoisite is relatively soft, between 5. This can make the stone difficult to cut because of the differences in hardness and usually diamond tools will be used.

Zoisite has been known for nearly two centuries as an ornamental stone. The medium grade red ruby material is usually spread irregularly throughout the green zoisite. It is one of the most colorful of ornamental stones. The name "sapphire" was originally derived from Greek "sappheiros," as well as the Sanskrit Kuruvinda "sanipruja" meaning "hard stone," and the Hebrew word "sappir" meaning "gem.

Smoky Quartz - First of all, while it is commonly called topaz, this brown gemstone is actually quartz. Before its chemical make-up was known, people believed this sultry stone was a member of the topaz family and, as a result, the name still lingers even though we now know differently. Though the names are interchangeable and refer to the same gemstone, the correct name is smoky quartz. The reason the name smoky topaz is still used is because it is the name people are familiar with and it makes it easier to find what they are looking for.

The jeweler can then explain the difference. Topaz is made of fluorine aluminum silicate whereas smoky topaz quartz, like all the members of the quartz family, is a silicon dioxide. It is possible that aluminum particles contaminating the mineral are what give the stone its smoky brown color. Another possibility is that radiation from the earth pulls the color out. Sometimes clear quartz is enhanced through irradiation to achieve shades of brown. A smoky topaz can come in shades ranging from pale tan to a dark chocolate. Like amethyst and citrine, smoky topaz quartz is a macrocystalline quartz.

This means that the crystals forming the gemstone can be seen without magnification. Another interesting characteristic is that it is sometimes found in combination with citrine creating a bi-colored stone. Smoky topaz quartz was found long ago in the mountains of Scotland. In fact, it is the official gem of Scotland. Since the beginning of time, people and cultures have attached mystical characteristics to gemstones.

Smoky topaz quartz is no different. For one thing, it is believed that wearing the gemstone draws out negativity from the wearer as the gemstone absorbs it. This is why it is also believed to relieve depression and improve mood. Dreams may become reality when wearing a smokey quartz bracelet or other piece. As for health, the workings of the bodys lower organs- digestive and reproductive- are supposed to be improved.

A common use for a smoky topaz is as a meditation facilitator. It supposedly raises awareness, clears the mind and enhances reaction time. Overall, it is supposed to help the wearer tune in and come to resolution. Another mystical use for smooth round spheres of smoky topaz quartz is as a scrying stone. It is believed that, in the 16th century, Elizabeth I relied on them to tell the future.

Taking advantage of its mystical ability to see the future, smooth crystal balls are also made from this mysterious gemstone.

Gemstone Facts

The name comes from the Greek words soda and lithos, which means salt stone, as the stone contains a lot of salt. Also known as the Fairy Cross Stone, Staurolite was believed to be formed from tears the fairies shed when they heard the news of Christ's death. It is traditionally known as a protective stone and a talisman for good luck. Staurolite enhances and strengthens rituals and is said to be used in white magic ceremonies. Sugilite, a fairly recent discovery is found in Japan, Canada and India. Sugilite is named for the Japanese geologist who discovered the first specimens, Ken-ichi Sugi.

Sugilite is also known under the trade names of "Royal Lavulite" and "Royal Azel" Sugilite often contains black matrix, reddish brown or yellowish blotches and ranges between 6 - 7. Bright purple stones with little matrixing or blotches are the most valued. Gem grade sugilite is beautifully translucent and because it is quite rare it brings a high price.

Found in just one place on earth this blue variety of zoisite was named for Tanzania, the country where it was found, by. Crystals show different colors depending on viewing direction. In the short time since discovered in ,. It is one of the most valuable of all metaphysical crystals. It is one of the chatoyant gemstones. Chatoyancy exhibits a changeable silky luster as light is reflected within the thin parallel fibrous bands.

This effect is due to the fibrous structure of the material. Tiger iron is composed of tiger's eye, red jasper and black hematite. The rippled wavy bands of color often resemble a scenic view. Many legends about quartz say that wearing tiger's eye which is a form of quartz is beneficial for health and spiritual well being. Legend also says it is a psychic protector, great for business, and an aid to achieving clarity. Topaz — occurs in a wide variety of colors and is found all over the world. In the 15th century, topaz was used to detect poisons, calm anger, and break spells. Christians believed topaz stood for uprightness, and to Hindus, topaz worn above the heart prevented thirst and assured long life, beauty, and intelligence.

The Greeks felt topaz gave them strength and used it as an amulet against harm. The Egyptians believed that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the mighty Sun God Ra. This made topaz a very powerful amulet that protected the faithful against harm.

The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, their God of the Sun. During the Renaissance people believed it could break magic spells. In ancient times it was believed that topaz helps to improve eyesight. The Greeks trusted topaz's supernatural power to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of emergency. Topaz was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink. Its mystical curative powers changed with the phases of the moon. It was said to cure insomnia, asthma, and hemorrhages. A new high tech enhancement process applied to colorless stones such as topaz and quartz has created a new variety we call "Mystic Topaz.

The color, brilliance and clarity of the final product depend on the quality, cut and polish of the original gemstone. That's why we use only first quality topaz for our mystic topaz. Mystic topaz displays all the colors of the rainbow in one stone. The shades of color are displayed in kaleidoscopic designs. Transparent, eye clean topaz of the finest quality is our only choice for the raw stone is used for Mystic Topaz. Colorless topaz, our raw basic material, is always untreated. In order to convert eye clean colorless topaz of fine quality into Mystic topaz, a high tech process known as thin film deposition is used.

The cut and polished topaz is coated with an extremely thin titanic film. Very little heat is involved in the process that produces the optical effects. The treatment is durable, hard, and only a few microns in thickness. With care, the enhancement will last the life of the jewelry setting. Rubelite is pink to red, Indicolite is violet to blue, Paraiba is intense blue, chrome tourmalines are green, achroic are clear, and also the beautiful watermelon tourmalines of green and pink.

They can be white and black as well. It can show every tone from pastel to dark, and can appear in various colors in the same stone. The many different colors of tourmaline mean that this stone can easily be mistaken for just about any other gemstone. Many stones in the Russian Crown Jewels from the 17th century once thought to be rubies are actually tourmalines. The major source for tourmalines is Brazil. It is also known to attract friends and lovers. Pink tourmaline promotes female balance and protection, as green tourmaline promotes the same among men.

Tourmalines are believed to protect the wearer against bad decisions, many dangers, and misfortunes. Egyptian royalty wore turquoise as long as years ago. Turquoise is a purification stone. It dispels negative energy and can be worn to protect against outside influences. Turquoise balances and aligns all the chakras, stabilizing mood swings and instilling inner calm. It has been associated with horses for centuries by protecting any rider who wears the stone from injury if they were to fall off. In the 17th century, turquoise was only considered effective is received as a gift.

Native Americans in the Southwest saw the stone to be sacred, and Tibetans today consider the stone for good fortune, health, and as a protector against the evil eye. It was first discovered in This is a calm and peaceful stone, helpful in experiencing solitude without loneliness. Spiritually it helps us recognize the universal and endless nature of the soul. Variscite is a relatively rare phosphate mineral that is sometimes confused with chrysocolla or the greener forms of turquoise.

Colors are light bluish green, medium and dark greens. It has a waxy luster and takes a fine polish. A search on the web shows a wide range in hardness for this stone spanning 3. It is said to help with remembrance of past lives, balance the central nervous system and ease depression, fear, worry, anxiety and impatience and is a good meditation stone. It is also believed to help with virtue, self-reliance, moral courage and success. Like gemstones, one of the characteristics of a precious metal is its rarity. It could not be "precious" if it were common!

The lighter color rocks are usually plagioclase feldspar, while the darker rocks are pyroxene. During the day, the Moon has to compete with sunlight, which is also being scattered by the atmosphere, so it looks white. The Moon is covered in regolith , which is a fine powder. This is often referred to as "Moon dust". Our eyes adjust our perception of gray or white relative to "something else". You eyes receive exactly the same information from a dimly illuminated object with a reflectivity of 1. When you see the moon "by itself", brighter than anything else in the night sky or brighter than the blue sky in the day our brain says "that's white".

But if you put a big white sheet on the moon it would be a lot whiter - as you see in the photo of the astronaut whose white suit makes the moon look gray. It is reasonable to say that the little rectangle on the left looks white, while it looks gray on the right; and whether you consider it gray or white in the middle depends on your screen brightness, probably.

But they are in fact all the same shade of gray. There is a good description of the composition of the moon and its color at this link. But there is one other very cool thing. When you look at the intensity of the moon as it goes through its phases, you expect there to be more moonlight when the moon is full - obviously, since the "disk" of light is bigger. The intensity of moonlight does not scale with the phase apparent area of the moon. If it did, you would expect the intensity of moonlight to follow some smooth curve - but in particular you would not expect the intensity to change much right around the full moon because the illuminated area doesn't change a lot.

But that is not what is observed with information from this original source. Borrowing a curve from this link:. The moonlight gets considerably brighter the moon "whiter" right around the full moon. There are two effects in play:. This second point explains the really sharp peak right around full moon - and this is why the moon looks particularly bright and white at that time barring atmospheric effects. This is described in more depth and I just discovered it has a name: Heiligenschein which is German for "saintly glow" at this link.

It is not white, see this link for photos: See also this image I took, it does not appear white, one of the seas looks blue. See this photo with increased saturation. It appears that on average the Moon is grey with light coloration aligned with the terrain ranging from yellow to blue. The saturated photo shows this and a discerning eye can perceive the light color tint in the non-saturated photo.

Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site the association bonus does not count. Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead? Home Questions Tags Users Unanswered. Why is the surface of the Moon white? Rather, what makes the surface white? DragonSlayer3 1 4 Omry 1, 1 7 How does this answer the question? I'm doubtful of the explanation you give. HarryCBurn No, it is not a "different colour".

Grey is achromatic and colourless. Therefore the moon is not grey, because it does not have this property. RobJeffries, Our perception of "white", and "gray" and "black" is highly subjective. Google for "color constancy" or, for "checkerboard illusion". The ground in the photograph looks "gray" because it reflects less light than the astronaut's suit. When you see the same surface up there in the night sky it looks "white" because there's nothing brighter up there against which your eye can compare it. The moon appears white from the Earth for two reasons. There's something wrong with that article and with that spectrum.

The Purkinje effect explanation is nonsense. That explains why a white car looks bluish under moonlight, but not moonlight itself. Mars is obviously red. So is Antares "not Mars" , as is Betelgeuse. All three are orders of magnitude less luminous than is the Moon. DavidHammen Which spectrum do you refer to. I show the reflectance. To get the lunar spectrum you multiply the solar spectrum by this and then modify slightly for transmission through the Earth's atmosphere. They are fainter than the moon, but perhaps not orders of magnitude fainter when expressed in terms of surface brightness over the cells in the eye.

The moon is apparent mag about -5 per sq arcmin. DavidHammen However, I do agree that even a preliminary bit of research does suggest that the brightness of the full moon surface ought to be enough to engage photopic vision. That second set of spectra looks much better than your first spectrum. Also note that the scale is linear. Our eyes are logarithmic devices. Those two spectra would be much closer to one another had intensity been placed on a logarithmic scale. In this answer you say "could be considered pinkish", but conclude that the spectrum is "close enough" to be called white.

Then in comments to other peoples' answers, as a critiscm, you say that the moon objectively is "not grey" since its spectrum is not precisely flat. This seems an uneven application of the meanings of colour-words. Once bright enough that colour vision kicks in, the moon is by definition exactly as grey as ignoring the effect of Earth's atmosphere its reflected light appears white, isn't it?

That is to say, pretty grey. The Moon is grey, but it looks white because of scattering along with sunlight.

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