In crystal lore today, sunstone is the stone people keep for optimism. It is thought of as a bright stone for turning a gloomy thought around and for feeling good about yourself.
Feldspar (plagioclase or microcline) · Feldspar
Sunstone
Piedra del sol
- Palette
- Orange Yellow Red Brown
- Mined in
- Norway, Sweden, United States, Russia, Australia, Canada, Greece, India
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–6.5 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- no formal date (lapidary name)
- Named for
- its spangled glitter, like sunlight ('sun' + 'stone')
- Also sold as
- aventurine feldspar, heliolite, Oregon sunstone
- Intention
- Strength New Beginnings
- Looking for
- Confidence and self-worth Hope Joy
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Feldspar sunstone is sometimes oiled or stabilized, and Oregon sunstone is not colored by anything done to it.
Not in our pieces now
1 POUND PER TON
Mining Oregon sunstone is low-yield: miners get about one pound of sunstone out of a ton of dirt and rock.
4-TON BLOCK
A four-ton block of Oregon sunstone went into a Liberty Bell monument in Philadelphia marking the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.
SUNSTONE KNOLL
Sunstone also occurs in Pleistocene basalt flows at Sunstone Knoll in Millard County, Utah.
What it is
Sunstone is a feldspar, in the same family as moonstone, labradorite and amazonite. Tiny flat inclusions of copper or iron minerals catch the light and give it a glittering orange to peach sparkle. Some red and green stones sold under similar names are copper-diffused, so ask how a deeply colored one was made.
What gives it its color
Sunstone's sparkle comes from tiny flat plates of copper, hematite or goethite inside the feldspar, and in Oregon stones copper also gives the pink to red color.
Where it comes from
The best-known sunstone comes from Oregon, in Lake and Harney counties, and it is also found in Norway, Sweden, India, Tanzania and elsewhere.
In history
In the early 1800s, feldspar sunstone was rare and costly, and Tvedestrand in southern Norway, where it sits in a quartz vein through gneiss, was the best-known source. Finds in Norway, Siberia and Oregon's Warner Valley (reported in the early 1900s) made it far more available, and on August 4, 1987, Oregon named sunstone its state gemstone.
What's said about it
Older gem lists paired it with Sunday, the day of the sun.
People wear it as a bracelet or ring, carry it in a pocket or keep it where they sit quietly.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, as a ring, in a pocket, or in a meditation space.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, sunstone is paired with the sacral and solar plexus chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, as a ring, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want confidence and self-worth, hope, joy, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraSacral, Solar Plexus
ZodiacLeo, Libra
ElementFire
Also calledaventurine feldspar, heliolite, Oregon sunstone
Care
- Feldspars split along flat planes, so avoid knocks and drops.
- Clean with a soft cloth and mild soapy water, then dry.
- Keep away from sudden heat changes and ultrasonic cleaners.
- Store apart from harder stones, and ask whether a deep red or green stone is copper-diffused, which is a lab process.
How to tell what you have
- Sunstone is feldspar with a glitter from tiny flat inclusions, and the sparkle shifts as you turn it.
- Goldstone is glass with copper crystals, sold under similar names; goldstone batches look more uniform and the two have nothing in common structurally.
What sets the price
Price follows how strong the glittery flash is, the color (pale yellow and colorless the least, orange, pink, red and green the most), and how clear the stone is; Oregon material is the rarest, and some red or green stones have been colored artificially.
Rules and sourcing
Feldspar sunstone is sometimes oiled or stabilized, while Oregon sunstone is not colored by anything done to it. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose oil or stabilizing.
Questions people ask at our table
What is sunstone?
It is a feldspar that shows a spangled glitter from tiny flat inclusions of copper, hematite or goethite. It is in the same family as moonstone and labradorite.
Is sunstone natural?
Orange, yellow and peach sunstone is natural. Some red and green stones sold as sunstone or andesine were colored by copper diffusion, so ask before you buy.
Where does it come from?
Famous sources include southern Norway, Sweden, Oregon (the state gemstone), other U.S. states, the Baikal region of Russia and South Australia.
How is it different from goldstone?
Goldstone is man-made glass with copper flecks. Sunstone is a natural feldspar crystal with a sparkle that shifts as you turn it.
Can I wear it in water?
A quick rinse is fine, but at 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale it can split along cleavage planes, so avoid soaking and knocks.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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