Sunstone

The poor toughness of sunstone is a result of its perfect cleavage and the presence of internal inclusions or flaws that can weaken it under stress.

Sunstone demonstrates resilience under most daily use conditions such as water immersion, sunlight exposure, and dry environments. It also resists common stains well. However, care should be taken to avoid extreme heat and harsh chemicals.

The optical effect appears to be due to reflections from inclusions of red copper, in the form of minute scales, which are hexagonal, rhombic, or irregular in shape, and are disposed parallel to the principal cleavage-plane. These inclusions give the stone an appearance something like that of aventurine, hence sunstone is known also as "aventurine-feldspar". The optical effect called schiller and the color in Oregon Sunstone is due to copper. The middle part of this crystal sparkles, and usually the color is darkest in the middle and becomes lighter toward the outer edges. The feldspar which usually displays the aventurine appearance is oligoclase, though the effect is sometimes seen in orthoclase: hence two kinds of sunstone are distinguished as "oligoclase sunstone" and "orthoclase sunstone".

Sunstone is set into rings and used for earrings and necklaces. Smaller pieces of the stone often decorate spas and meditation centers. Along with being carved into beads and cabochons, the stone is also used for small figurines and sculptures. Clear pieces are used to make faceted jewelry stones.

Commonly associated with and named after the Sun, sunstone has been used by Vikings as a talisman on their journeys. According to Native American lore, this stone was formed on the place where a warrior was wounded - his blood fell on the rocks and a beautiful sunstone was created.

Sunstone was not popular until recently. Previously the best-known locality being Tvedestrand, near Arendal, in south Norway, where masses of the sunstone occur embedded in a vein of quartz running through gneiss. Other locations include near Lake Baikal in Siberia, and several United States localities—notably at Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania; Plush, Oregon; and Statesville, North Carolina. The "orthoclase sunstone" variant has been found near Crown Point and at several other localities in New York, as also at Glen Riddle in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and at Amelia Courthouse, Amelia County, Virginia. Sunstone is also found in Pleistocene basalt flows at Sunstone Knoll in Millard County, Utah.

Sunstone is an energizing stone that activates all of the chakras. Its positive energy is thought to attract romance, happiness, and success. Along the way, it also alleviates fear, encourages independence, and improves self-esteem. Wear it as jewelry for constant effects, use it for meditation for specific areas, or keep it in the home for balance and stability.