Sunstone is a gemstone that allows an individual freedom.
Sunstone enhances an individual’s sensuality.
Sunstone is associated with good fortune, abundance and luck.
Sunstone helps one to achieve strength, independence and gives an
individual the vitality it needs.
Sunstone, also called Heliolite, is the state gem of Oregon, a prime source for this beautiful gem.
The name “Heliolite” is derived from the Greek “helios” and “lithos,” meaning “sun” and “stone.”
Sunstone is metallic in appearance and comes in red, orange or green. However, cleaner red sunstone is very rare and commands true gemstone prices. The stone is a composition of oligioclase feldspar, which also contains hematite or goethite. The presence of hematite or goethite creates a reflection of light, hence the name sunstone.
Sunstone is formed in molten lava and is discharged onto the surface with the help of a volcano. The lava weathers away or is broken and fine crystals of sunstone are then released. The Oregon sunstone is found with copper in it, which causes a range of colours from water-blue to yellow and many shades of green, red, and pink.
In the olden days, this stone was used by natives for trade. It was also believed by the Vikings to be a talisman for navigation. Sunstone is widely connected with human beings as defensive energy. It is thought to impart extra energy at times of stress or ill health, assist contemplative processes, and bolster energy levels.
The hardness of the stone is 6.5-7.2 on the Mohs scale and its density 2.62 - 2.65.
The term “sunstone” is mostly utilized for specimens of transparent to translucent feldspar that create an intense, tinny flashes especially when the light intermingles with small plate-like mineral inclusions that surround the stone. These mineral inclusions typically have an ordinary orientation and light inflowing the stone that usually reflects from them with an ordinary angle.
This creates a spark of light in the eye of the viewer who perceives them at the right angle. This visual fact is referred as “aventurescence”. The initial material to be called is “Sunstone”. This is due to its aventurescence, which is the samples of oligoclase, and plagioclase feldspar.
As other classed of feldspar with a tough aventurescence were revealed the name and applied, as well. Laboratories feldspar and orthoclase feldspars are both established with tough aventurescence. Their flashes of light create by a sunstone can be perceived by three diverse actions.
Sunstone is also well-known as “heliolite” and commonly “aventurescent feldspar”. It is usually cut into beads, cabochons, and tiny sculptures. The most translucent pieces are utilized to create faceted stones. Sunstone is well-known with ground-breaking jewelry designers and it is particularly popular along geographic areas where it is commercially produced.
It is not a bead that is perceived in each jewelry store, and several jewelry buyers have never ever witnessed its aventurescence. However, once an individual is provided a display of sunstone’s aventurescence, they often desire to seek for it and they are mesmerized.
It is a bead that sells best, particularly if the jeweler takes some moment to instruct the consumer about aventurescence. Similar with a red-orange sunset glowing above the Pacific Ocean, Sunstone’s shimmering iridescence is compelling. The metallic shine in this feldspar is derived by reflected light with a small hematite copper or crystals surrounded on it.
Most of the sunstone’s deposits have been established in Canada, India, Russia, and South Norway. Also, sunstone has been discovered in USA, with deposits found in Oregon. Most of these sunstones available that can be found at Fire Mountain are also originated from India.
So get out your beach chair and your bead box filled with all the scintillating shapes of these hand-cut sunstone beads. Sit down and create some jewelry that captures the beauty of a fiery, sparkling, coastal sunset. It will dazzle everyone who sees it. Sunstone was associated with the Sun during the Renaissance because of its sparkling orange-gold hue.
In fact, it was used by magicians to call upon the influences of the sun. It is aprotective stone and if you place this stone before a white candle as it spreads energies in your home. Symbolically, sunstone is linked to moonstone.Carry the two beads togetherto bring the influences of the Sun (Healing, Protection, and Success) into harmony with those of the Moon (Love, Peace, Spirituality).
Sunstone is worn to provide you an extra energy when you are ill or under stress, stimulate sexual arousal and increase sexual energy, increase self-healing power, promotes harmony among the organs functions, stimulates your personal power of attraction. In fact, Sunstone is a joyful stone.
Sunstone occurs in a range of colors that begins with colorless and ranges through yellow, orange and red. The color is determined, in part, by the abundance and size of the copper platelets within the stone. The copper platelets impart a pink or reddish color to the stone. Some exceptional stones are deep green or blue in color.
Color can vary within a single stone. Some stones exhibit a color gradient. They might be pink on one side of the stone and the color gradually strengthens to orange on the other side of the stone. Other stones have sharp color changes. These stones might have patches of green in contact with an area of strong red color.
Some exceptional stones are pleochroic - their color depends upon the direction of observation. The value of this gem-quality sunstone is determined by its color, transparency, and the quality of aventurescence. Colorless and yellow stones are usually the least expensive and values increase through pink, orange and red.
Bright red stones, green stones, and nice bicolor stones have the highest values. Transparent stones with a nice aventurescence command premium prices. Sunstone can fit almost any budget. Small cabochons with a pleasant orange color and nice aventurescence can be purchased under $50.
In fact, bright red stones and attractive bicolor stones that have been nicely faceted can sell for over $1000 per carat. Although aventurescence has been traditionally defined sunstone, clear, gem-quality plagioclase from Oregon without obvious aventurescence, it still been sold under the name of “Oregon Sunstone”.
Meanwhile, yellow gem-quality plagioclase without obvious aventurescence from Mexico has been sold under the name “Golden Sunstone”.It restores life’s sweetness and helps you to value and nurture yourself. It can lift dark moods and is said to be beneficial for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
It promotes hopefulness and eagerness and facilitates to conquer procrastination, assisting you take some action to live your life to the fullest. Sunstone assists you also to widen your own creativity, promotes freedom, and alleviates anxiety. It also conveys good fortune and profusion, as well.
Sunstone is associated withSolar Plexus Chakra. Using this stone can release out this chakra and can reduce any issues linked with an obstruction in such area, such as excessive weight within the middle, digestive issues, and of course, with stomach ulcers. The most well-known sunstone deposits are usually found from Oregon, USA.
However, few of these sunstone deposits found in Oregon are big enough to uphold mining procedure. They are mostly found in some basalt flows such as Harney and Lake County. There the sunstone transpires as phenocrysts inside the basalt. Some of them are generated through weathered zone beyond the basalt flows.
The basalt from Oregon that encloses sunstone is usually located mostly on public land and numerous dynamic or capable areas. Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has set aside one specific area in found in Lake County, which is serves as a public collecting region where anybody can enter, and keep what they discover for their own use.
Further Reading
