Sri Lanka is the world’s most important source of fine-quality moonstone. Moonstone is also produced in significant quantities in Brazil, Myanmar and India. Small amounts are found in many other countries around the world.

Large, mechanized moonstone mines do not exist. Instead, most production is from artisinal mining. The miners prospect through stream sediments and gravels where moonstone is found, often along with a variety of other gems. A smaller amount is mined underground, where miners dig into soft kaolinite clay that developed as a residual material above weathering feldspar deposits and igneous rock masses.