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Sunstone
Our hearts beat loud for sunstone! One of our favorite gem dealer Dhanpat calls it 'sunny stone' and that name has stuck with us. This magical stone has the power to transform a gloomy day into something magical.
Sunstone is a member of the feldspar group of minerals and alongside Andesine, Moonstone and Labradorite these minerals make up about 60% of the Earth’s crust. However not all feldspar are created equal, Emily chooses the most magical sunstones, her favorites are mined in Oregon. About 13 million years ago the Steens Mountain erupted pouring huge amounts of lava over what would become the state of Oregon. After being covered in water for thousands of years the lake dried up exposing the lava to the elements eventually producing the rich sunstone mines we have today.
Oregon Sunstones are prized for their aventurescence, often referred to as 'schiller'. In the case of aventurescent gemstones, these inclusions form in plates of shimmering minerals (such as hematite, copper or goethite). These highly-reflective layers reflect the light in such a way as to make the gem appear to shimmer and glow from within.
Sunstone is typically found in orange to reddish hues and is reminiscent of the sun– given its name 'sunstone'. It is slightly softer than quartz with a hardness rating of 6 - 6.5 on the Mohs scale but is still a very wearable and durable gemstone for jewelry.
