9 Moonstone Rings For A Colorful Diamond Alternative (2025)
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Our editors have worn and loved sustainable jewelry for years — these are our favorite brands for moonstone rings at a range of price points.
Have you ever heard of moonstone? A quick glance might have you mistaking the gemstone for an opal or a rose-cut diamond — but moonstone is a gem all its own, prized for its ethereal, milky iridescence and, you’ll be happy to know, its affordability.
Moonstone is so named for its blue-to-white coloring and its adularescence, meaning the way light billows and scatters across the gemstone, giving it an opalescent, lit-from-within glow that resembles, you guessed it, the moon.
This celestial glow gives it an unmatched romanticism, and while you’ll often find it in delicate, ethereal settings, you’ll also find plenty of simpler settings in the below list of sustainable moonstone rings.
Why consider sustainable and ethical jewelry?
When shopping for jewelry, we’re always prioritizing brands that handcraft their pieces in small batches, use recycled or responsibly sourced precious metals and gemstones, and that trace their environmental impact.
Thankfully, there are so many fantastic jewelry brands out there that do all of the above, and many of them are woman-owned. When jewelry shopping, we’re looking for pieces that not only support a small business or artisan, but that will also last a lifetime, so we’re not disrespecting the planet’s resources with disposable accessories.
What should you look for when shopping for moonstone?
While moonstone resembles opal, it’s even better in a way — it’s slightly harder on the Mohs scale. But it’s still a relatively soft gemstone, so we like protective settings like bezels and signets when shopping for moonstone rings. And moonstone differs from diamond in key ways, too — while it’s not nearly as hard, it’s much more affordable and easier to trace, so you can ensure it was mined ethically. Note that there are no lab-created moonstones on the market.
Another point we like to look for in rings: The metal in which the gemstone is set, and whether it’s durable solid gold, gold vermeil, gold filled, or sterling silver. Gold-plated is often less durable, so we try to avoid that one.
Our criteria:
Our team has fallen in love with dozens of ethical and sustainable jewelry brands over the years. For this review, we pooled together our experience, researched the best brands on the market, and scoured thousands of customer reviews for this round-up of our favorites. We update this list regularly with emerging favorites that meet our criteria below.
- SUSTAINABLE/ETHICAL | Each of these sustainable jewelry brands prioritizes the use of recycled metals and responsibly sourced gemstones, including noting their origins where available. We’ve also chosen brands that are mindful of their labor practices, too.
- QUALITY/DURABLE | Moonstone is quite delicate, so we’ve only chosen brands whose high quality materials and construction will allow your piece to last as long as possible.
- AFFORDABLE | Jewelry can be an investment — but there are some sustainable options that cater to smaller budgets. We’ve tried to include a variety of price points depending on what you’re looking for.
Looking for more sustainable accessories to complete your outfits? Check out our guide to the best sustainable and ethical jewelry.
1. Brilliant Earth
Best For | Custom moonstone rings
Prices starting at | $2,000
Known for their wide selection of customizable, sustainable diamond engagement rings made with recycled materials and traceable gemstones, Brilliant Earth doesn’t stop there — they also make customizable rings with practically every gemstone imaginable, from sapphires to emeralds to moonstone. Their moonstone rings are all custom designs, like this vintage-inspired moonstone ring with a delicately patterned band that gives it a Victorian look, or this eye-catching shared prong moonstone engagement ring and wedding band set that’s encrusted in diamonds. And if those don’t suit your fancy, you can contact Brilliant Earth directly and work with one of their experts to create the moonstone ring of your dreams.
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2. Catbird
Best For | Ethereal designs made in Brooklyn
Prices starting at | $330
Catbird makes plenty of dreamy, romantic, sustainable jewelry from their headquarters in Brooklyn, including rings with rose-cut diamonds, which have a softer, less brilliant look to them, along with moonstone rings. Their moonstone rings range from the simpler oval moonstone ring in a solid gold bezel setting, to more vibey, celestial offerings like the Titan moonstone ring, flanked by two golden stars, or the nestled moonstone ring by Wwake that includes two delicately placed diamonds. Catbird makes their own line of fine and semi-fine rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings using recycled metals and ethereal designs, and they also carry a curated selection of pieces from small designers.
3. Linjer
Best For | Variety of moonstone pieces
Prices starting at | $69
Co-founders Jennifer and Roman created Linjer to bridge the gap between fast fashion accessories and expensive, designer ones — the brand is all about creating high-quality accessories that keep costs as low as possible for the consumer. And they make a wide selection of moonstone rings, along with other moonstone jewelry like earrings and necklaces and tons of other wearable jewelry made of high-quality materials like 100% recycled solid gold, gold vermeil, and ethically sourced gemstones. We love their more casual moonstone rings like their Elisa model that’s under $100. But they make some breathtakingly elegant options, too, like their Chiara moonstone ring with a sunburst halo of lab-grown diamonds, or the Maia three-stone ring in which the moonstone is flanked by a pear-shaped diamond on either side.
4. Garden of the Sun
Best For | Silver jewelry
Prices starting at | $49
Founded in 2018, Gardens of the Sun is on a mission to create jewelry as ethically as possible — with a transparent supply chain that’s low-impact on the environment, along with fair working conditions and wages for their artisans. They’re a certified B Corp, and they even plant five trees for every purchase. Their lineup of moonstone jewelry is primarily set in recycled sterling silver, though they make a custom gold birthstone ring with which you can choose your center stone. Some of our other favorite moonstone rings include this baguette moonstone ring in an east-west setting, this triple rainbow moonstone ring that’s dainty enough for everyday wear, and their one-of-a-kind rings that combine moonstone with another gem, like this rose-cut emerald and moonstone ring.
5. Monica Vinader
Best For | Rose gold moonstone rings
Prices starting at | $98
Started by jewelry designer Monica Vinader in 2008, her eponymous jewelry line puts sustainability front and center with their lineup of semi-fine necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and, of course, moonstone rings. They make two models of moonstone rings, both of which feature an organically shaped moonstone in a bezel setting of either 18-karat gold vermeil, 18-karat rose gold vermeil, or sterling silver — the difference is that one ring is smaller while the other is larger. All of Monica Vinader’s gold and sterling silver is 100% recycled. And with a focus on circularity, the brand offers free lifetime repairs, a five-year warranty, and a recycling program for your old, unwanted pieces to be turned into something new.
6. Pippa Small
Best For | Lifetime investment moonstone rings
Prices starting at | $3,330
Among Pippa Small’s moonstone jewelry are some showstopper rings — all set in sold 18-karat gold with large gemstones. The rainbow moonstone square Greek ring features a gorgeous (and huge!) iridescent Sri Lankan rainbow moonstone in a strong rectangle cut, while the birds lament moonstone ring has an organically shaped center moonstone and the Theia large cluster ring features a cluster of moonstones and rose-cut diamonds. All three are handmade in Jaipur by master goldsmith Om Prakash. Launched by Pippa Small in 2007, the brand works directly with the skilled artisans who handcraft all of their jewelry. All their pieces are designer quality, and are sourced from around the world.
7. Emi Connor
Best For | Handcrafted moonstone shapes
Prices starting at | $480
Self-taught jewelry artist Emi Connor launched her eponymous brand in 2012 — and these days, all of her pieces are handcrafted in a small family-owned workshop in her native Thailand. Their jewelry is dainty and ethereal, but with high-quality designs that mean each piece will last a lifetime. They’re committed to using almost 100% recycled precious metals for their settings, and responsibly sourced, conflict-free gemstones. Some of our favorite moonstone rings from the brand include the Lana oval moonstone ring with a diamond starburst halo, or the WYN Crown No. 1, featuring five moonstones in pear, marquise, and tapered baguette shapes set in a contour band.
8. Etsy
Best For | Affordability
Prices starting at | $30
No matter what kind of moonstone ring you’re looking for, Etsy probably has it. Their rings start around $30 (though they can go up much higher depending on materials and design), and range from super simple designs, like this small moonstone ring with a dainty band that comes in both gold filled and solid gold options, to complex designs like this moonstone and moss agate ring set in an intricate botanical band. You’ll find moonstone rings in every cut imaginable, from ovular to square to kite-shaped and even star-shaped or totally raw. Give their extensive collection a browse and you’re guaranteed to find something that suits your fancy — even if you’re not a big moonstone fan.
9. Local Eclectic
Best For | Unique designs
Prices starting at | $75
Chicago-based Local Eclectic sources their curated lineup of jewelry from their favorite small, artisanal jewelers, and over 90% of the brands they carry are woman-owned. Their independent designers specialize in playful jewelry and designs you won’t find anywhere else — from fun charms to personalized jewelry to affordable solid gold — including some gorgeous moonstone rings. While we love their elegantly simple designs like this emerald-cut moonstone set in a band of solid 9-karat gold, they make some real showstopping pieces (that don’t have showstopping price tags!). The rainbow moonstone in this ring is flanked by marquise-cut rainbow opals on either side, and this baby gumdrop ring has three globular blue moonstones. And this gorgeous signet ring features a romantic heart-shaped moonstone!
Natalie Gale is a Boston-based freelance journalist. Since 2022, she has been reviewing the top sustainable home, wellness, fashion, and beauty products, sharing her honest opinion on the best finds. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!
