Sunstone

Feldspar glittering with tiny metallic platelets of copper or hematite that catch the light like sparks.

Sunstone specimen — Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify sunstone

Orange to red feldspar with a coppery glitter (aventurescence).
Sparkles flash as the stone is turned.
Hardness about 6 with flat cleavage faces.

Often confused with

Aventurine
Aventurine is quartz, usually green, with mica glitter.
Compare side by side
Carnelian
Carnelian is waxy and has no glitter.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Lake County, Oregon
Tvedestrand, Norway
India
Tanzania

Uses

Gemstones.

Rock tumbling

Great for tumbling.

Did you know?

Oregon sunstone gets its sparkle from native copper and is the state gem of Oregon.

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