OREGON SUNSTONE

Clarity: VVS  
Hardness 6.5
 
Origin Oregon USA
Treatment   None


Deep within the volcanic rock of Central Oregon, the Oregon Sunstone is born. Each Natural Oregon Sunstone Gem is unique in brilliance, color and play of copper schiller highlights. The Sunstone is the official Oregon State Gemstone. This sunstone has very little of the copper inclusions and so it shows the beautiful yellowish green of pure Labradorite Feldspar.

Natural stone.



Sunstone
Oregon Sunstones are plagioclase feldspar formed in lava flows that cover much of southeastern Oregon. Within the lava flow is a matrix in which the colored sunstones are found. The sunstone flow is usually (not always) covered by a hard cap-rock known as Basalt that can be up to several feet thick. Feldspar crystals can be found in the Basalt that covers sunstone deposits. Red labradorite or andesine, to our knowledge, has never been PROVEN to have been found anywhere in the world outside of Oregon. Calling red labradorite “Sunstone” is confusing because there are several other non related adventurescent gemstones from India and Tanzania being called sunstone. We use the name Oregon Sunstone to describe the translucent adventurescent / schiller labradorite / andesine containing light reflecting native copper platelets.

Colour:
Sunstone is a rich golden or reddish brown colour, with plays of red yellow and orange light, sometimes also with green, caused by the inclusion of microscopically thin plates of copper.