Sunstone
Feldspar glittering with copper or hematite, mined in Oregon by hand.
- Family
- Feldspar
- Formula
- (Ca,Na)(Al,Si)₄O₈
- Mohs
- 6 to 6.5
- System
- Triclinic
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Science
Two different stones share the name. Indian and Norwegian sunstone is oligoclase with hematite platelets that flash orange, called aventurescence or schiller. Oregon sunstone is labradorite containing native copper: copper nanoparticles colour it red and green and, when larger, produce a glittering schiller.
- Mineral
- Feldspar (variety)
- Formula
- (Ca,Na)(Al,Si)₄O₈
- Crystal system
- Triclinic
- Mohs hardness
- 6 to 6.5
- Specific gravity
- 2.64 to 2.72
- Refractive index
- 1.537 to 1.547
- Lustre
- Vitreous
- Colours
- Orange, Red, Green, Copper schiller
Composition
(Ca,Na)(Al,Si)₄O₈. Made of Calcium, Sodium, Aluminium, Silicon, Oxygen, with trace Copper, Iron responsible for colour.
Origin
- United StatesOregon, copper-bearing
- Indiahematite schiller
- Norway
- Tanzania
Filled dots are primary sources
Rarity
Indian aventurine feldspar is common. Oregon sunstone with copper schiller or red-green colour is limited to a few small mines.
- 1 Abundant
- 2 Common
- 3 Uncommon
- 4 Rare
- 5 Exceptional
Hardness
Sunstone sits at 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Glass and a knife blade are about as hard; it wears well with care.
Energy
Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.
Chakras
- Sacral
- Solar Plexus
Element
- Fire
Zodiac
- Leo
- Libra
Planets
- Sun
Properties
- Optimism
- Leadership
- Self-empowerment
- Abundance
Lore
Oregon sunstone was collected by Native Americans and found by settlers in the basalt flows of Lake County; it became the state gem in 1987. The name 'Viking compass' is often attached, though that stone was more likely calcite.
Its modern reputation is straightforwardly solar: warmth, confidence, light.
- CopperMetallic copper inclusions, unique to Oregon and a few Ethiopian finds.
- SchillerGerman for shimmer; the flash from aligned platelets.