SUNSTONE FELDSPAR

ORIGIN-OREGAN USA

TREATMENT-NONE

 WITH SHILLER　

The story on the sunstones is this: A few million years ago there was a lot of volcanic activity there in the Antelope Valley which is not far from Virgin Valley Nevada where the opal is. The Labridorite crystals formed in the pyroclastic volcanic flows and cooled in gas pockets which are invested by lava. Later this entire area was covered with ancient lakes which cause the lava flows to decay and soften. The crystals are mostly clear but many are colored due to the presents of metal contaminants especially copper. Many stones are just copper streaked which is called schiller but many of the colored stones contain some schiller as well. Every stone is unique (like opal) and it is difficult to find matching pairs for earrings, unless they are cut from the same stone. They are found in pockets and we have found crystals up to 1000 carats. Most is fractured and made into smaller cut stones. Like Australian Opal the best mines are getting played out and we are the producers of the rare green and green blue and deep reds which are very hard to locate in the other mines. .