These red, pink and orange hued gems evoke passion and excitement – and are sure-fire accessories for sultry summer days.
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The first of a three-part series exploring Oregon’s state gem reports on a July 2013 visit to the Ponderosa mine, a prolific sunstone source surrounded by majestic ponderosas.
Read MoreThe Ponderosa mine is now producing commercial quantities of the gem-quality labradorite feldspar known as sunstone.
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Among the collection assembled by Dr Edward Gübelin are a number of uncommon gemstones from many worldwide localities.
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Not all feldspars that bear the name “sunstone” are from the same side of the feldspar family - both the orthoclase and the plagioclase species boast a sunstone feldspar variety. The name sunstone refers to the gem’s appearance rather than to its chemical makeup.
Read MoreRed copper-containing plagioclase feldspar from Oregon has been available for over a century. In the early 2000s, new localities for copper-bearing feldspar were reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and from Tibet or an unspecified locality in China.
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