Sunstone
Sunstone – jewelry stone
Sunstone is a variety of feldspar, which is a very rare mineral. Sometimes sunstone is also called heliolite, derived from the Greek words “helios” (meaning sun) and “lithos” (meaning stone). Sunstones are found in the United States, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, India, and Poland. Sometimes called aventurine feldspar because it was once mistaken for aventurine. It was not until the 19th century that this mineral gained popularity, thanks to Tiffany & Co. using it in their jewelry designs and calling it “plush diamond”. Sunstones are formed by processes related to magma and metamorphic transformations. Crucially, during the formation of sunstones in basaltic or granitic rocks, cooling and crystallization occur, creating excellent conditions for the trapping of mineral inclusions. These inclusions are later responsible for the adularization effect that gives sunstone its characteristic features. Sunstone mineral is related to two other minerals that also exhibit exceptional optical effects – labradorite and moonstone. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 6-6.5, while its density ranges from 2.61 to 2.65 g/cm³. Characteristic features of sunstones include vitreous luster, perfect cleavage and uneven fracture.
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Sunstone – color, optical effects
Sunstones are mainly associated with warm colors, but their color depends on both the occurrence and the type and amount of impurities of other minerals present in the stone. Sunstone occurs in colors such as orange, red, brown, gold, yellow, or even purple and green. It is the inclusions of hematite, pyrite, goethite, lepidocrocite or muscovite that determine the final color of the stone and the adularization phenomenon. This phenomenon occurs when light hits the stone and is reflected, while the mineral impurities in the stone refract the light, scattering it and creating shimmering reflections.The fact that stones shimmer depending on the angle of light incidence is what makes them highly valued as jewelry stones.
Sunstone – application, price
Sunstones have a very wide range of applications. They are used in the jewelry industry as well as construction, as decorative stone and in sculpture for the production of sculptures, figurines or vases. The price of sunstones depends, among other things, on the adularization effect – the more uniform and intense it is, the more expensive the stone, with pieces having unevenly distributed effects being much cheaper. It is also thanks to this effect that they are valued as collector’s gemstones. Sunstones are most often used in jewelry because of their exceptional color play. Sunstone in jewelry such as rings, earrings or necklaces looks beautiful thanks to its shiny surface. They are also great when combined with other gemstones such as moonstones or crystals, as this combination will make your jewelry unique and incomparable. Sunstones are most often cut in cabochon shape, as this cut brings out the most beautiful optical effects of the stone. In our offer you will find a large selection of cabochons and flats of this mineral, as well as faceted sunstones.
