The rare and most valuable stones have dichroic or trichroic properties that mean the colors or color depth are changed when observed from different directions. This is where you would probably get the best prices, and shipping of this item is relatively easy to handle due to its size. Sunstone is metallic in appearance and comes in red, orange or green. There the sunstone occurs as phenocrysts within the basalt. In Oregon, sunstone occurs in the south, central portion of the state near the California border. It was the Oregon State Gem, "Sunstone". he Oregon Sunstone Public Colletion Area allows visitors to enjy colleting thse rare and beautiful gems in their natural sting. The primary colors of Oregon Sunstone gems span from water (crystal) clear to soft champagne pinks and brilliant tones of red. Visit Spectrum Mine and dig for Oregon sunstone gems from a designated pile of fresh unprocessed ore for free all day and keep what you find (mine personnel must be present). Oregon Sunstone is the Official State Gemstone of Oregon, and one of the rarest and most valuable gemstones on the planet. The color is entirely natural. Above is picture of a group of extremely fine pieces of Oregon Sunstone rough. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; It has a rare unique quality of being color shifting…properly called Dichroism and Pleochroism. Oregon Sunstones. Aventurescence. In south central Oregon, there are many mining operations near the town of Plush where you can search for Oregon Sunstone. Dichroics. The highest copper concentration makes Oregon sunstones highly-prized and popular among artisans and collectors. From the famous Oregon Sunstone in Harney County to the beach agates found along the coast, the thunder eggs near Prineville to the Owyhee Jasper in Malheur County. Sunstone value is defined by transparency, color, and the quality of aventurescence. Oregon Sunstone is a fully to semi-transparent colored variety of Labradorite Fedspar of the Plagioclase family. Luckily for rock-enthusiasts, collecting sunstone is allowed in the Lake County, 23 miles north of Plush. Don't forget the sunscreen and cold beer if … Oregon Sunstone was proclaimed as the official State Gemstone in 1987. Sunstone (Oregon State Gemstone) Oregon’s state gemstone is a feldspar crystal that weathers out of certain lava flows in south-central Oregon. Apart from Public Sunstone Collection Area, there are privately owned mining claims, namely Spectrum Sunstone Mine and Double Eagle Mining, listed below as fee digging sites for your information. Opening dates for 2015 are Memorial Day Weekend, May 22nd through September 30th. amzn_assoc_asins = "1889786446,1889786535,087842654X,0870715739"; Your email address will not be published. Visit Spectrum Mine and dig for Oregon sunstone gems from a designated pile of fresh unprocessed ore for free all day and keep what you find (mine personnel must be present). These pieces are a mix of Sunstones from the Spectrums Double Eagle 13 , the Spectrum Cattle Guarder and other dig sites throughout the Eastern Oregon Sunstone fields. The spectrum Sunstone Mine, located in the same area near Plush, OR, is one of the states most renown digging sites for Oregon sunstones that is open to the public. We are located in the high desert of south central Oregon, north west from the town of Plush Oregon. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Know Before You Go: The boundaries of the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area are marked by orange plastic posts that say ‘Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area,’ and corners are marked with large Bureau of Land Management … Located in the remote Rabbit Basin, the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area is in the high desert habitat of sagebrush and open spaces of south-central Oregon. Oregon sunstone collecting: There are a few places where you can go to collect Oregon Sunstone. Oregon is one of the nation's leading states for the production of gemstones.These gemstones are mostly a result of the state's long volcanic history. Sunstone is a member of the feldspar group of minerals. We then drove to one of the commercial claims - we chose the Dust Devil Sunstone Mine - and paid for a belt run which came to about $80. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; You definitely feel like you are at a real gem mine. The lava was covered by water for thousands of years until dry weather, winds extreme temperatures dried out the lake entirely. Oregon Sunstones are Oregon’s state gemstone, and if you’re willing to drive (and drive and drive), they’re free for the taking. Color relates to the amount of copper in the sunstone. Some crystals can exhibit colors changes, be showing pink on one side and red on the opposite side of the stone. They are found in certain basalt flows in Lake County and Harney County. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Green - 100 parts per million (0.01%). Over five days in late July 2013, we visited three important sources of gem-quality sunstone in eastern Oregon: the Ponderosa mine in Harney County, and the Dust Devil (figure 1) and Sunstone Butte mines, both of which are about 120 miles further south, in Lake County. Oregon's famous sunstone is produced from basalt flows, thundereggs are formed in rhyolite, and the silica that produced much of Oregon's opal, agate, and jasper was dissolved from volcanic rocks by hot groundwater. Oregon sunstone is a little harder than other feldspars with a hardness range of 6.5–7. (Image credi... What Causes The Color In Oregon Sunstone? $8 - $9 per ct. see below. However, there is a … Located in the remte Rabbit Basin, the Oregon Sunstone Public Colletion Area is in the high dsert habitat f sagebrush and open spacs f south-central Oregon. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; The sunstone from Oregon, USA, shimmers due to copper inclusions. Feldspar. Most of this material is mined by companies on private claims. In addition, the quality of the copper colored sunstone material from Oregon is better than anywhere else in the world. Figure 2. Some Oregon sunstones can exhibit two or three colors at the same time, known as dichroism and trichroism respectively. amzn_assoc_linkid = "5606a67c148fecc071482f394ba03570"; The Willamette Meteorite on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The color is determined by the abundance and size of the copper platelets within the gemstone. More specifically near the small town of Plush. Gems And Gemology Winter 220-233 ⓘ Oregon Sunstone public collection area; O'Neal, C. (2013), Field collection and visual analysis of the Oregon Sunstone deposits near Plush, Lake County, Oregon; March. Oregon Sunstone is a lively gem. Oregon Sunstones at the Spectrum Mine We had a lot of fun at the Opal Mines and met some great people. Sunstone is a feldspar crystal that weathers out of certain lava flows in the south-central region of Oregon. Due to this information is subject to change at any time, the Oregon Discovery team cannot guarantee that is either current or correct. Oregon Sunstone The ancestors of the Northern Paiute and Modoc tribes were likely among the first people to find and use Oregon sunstone. Yellow - 20 parts per million (0.002%). Sunstone can have a sparkly, metallic-looking luster caused by flat, reflective inclusions. Purchased in early 2019 from Ales Krivanek and mined in the PANA Mine in Oregon it has a very good large size, but what really sets it apart for me is the two strong colors and how vivid these colors are. Also, sunstones can be collected on commercial Dust Devil’s, Spectrum Sunstone and Double Eagle Mines, all of them are located near the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area. Oregon sunstone is a variety of labradorite that frequently displays a stunning aventurescence, or “glowing” or “glittery” schiller effect, caused by copper inclusions. The stones from the …