Do they come from the sun?
Their name only comes from their sunny appearance; they form here on earth! Sunstones are actually different members of a large group of minerals known as feldspars, and can be found in various parts of the world. Most Oregon sunstone is a calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar.
Sunstone in Volcanic BasaltRice Museum of Rocks and Minerals
Formed deep within a volcano
Sunstones from Oregon crystallized deep within the magma chamber of a volcano, which then erupted as part of a basalt lava flow. Over millions of years, the basalt rock weathered, and the sunstones became loose and fell out.
Warner Valley Panoramic (2015-06-08) by FinetoothRice Museum of Rocks and Minerals
Discovered in the high desert of south central Oregon
Sunstone was initially collected in the ancient lava fields of Warner Valley, Oregon. The first written documentation comes from the early 1900s, but Native Americans were using the stone for centuries before that.
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Visit and collect the stone yourself!
Today, Oregon sunstone is collected from areas in Lake and Harney Counties. Near the town of Plush in Lake County, the public can visit the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area, or numerous pay-to-dig sites.
Sunstone CarvingRice Museum of Rocks and Minerals
A gem of a stone
The sunstone that is found in Oregon tends to be small, broken pieces, which are excellent for faceting and carving into gems, and setting into jewelry.
Understanding their colors
Oregon sunstone gets its color from trace amounts of copper. Colorless to pale yellow is very common, and has the least amount of copper.
Find copper-rich rarities
Pink is common and has a little more copper. Whereas red sunstone has the most copper content, and is scarce.
Cut Sunstone, Photo by Jeff ScovilRice Museum of Rocks and Minerals
See the full spectrum of colors
Green and multi-colored sunstones are considered very rare, but have the middle most range of copper content – somewhere between yellow and red. The Museum has over 50 sunstones on display in its Northwest Gallery!
What is schiller?
Metallic inclusions in some Oregon sunstones can create a glittery appearance called aventurescence, also known as "schiller". While most of the time the inclusions are copper, sometimes they can be hematite or another mineral.
Curious how sunstones become jewelry?
Hear from expert Karl Ziltener about the process of cutting sunstone in a way that makes it shine to its fullest potential!
Cut Sunstone, Photo by Jeff ScovilRice Museum of Rocks and Minerals
Becoming the state gem
Recognizing its beauty and uniqueness, Oregon officials designated the mesmerizing sunstone the state gem in 1987.
