The prices vary from a few dollars for colorless and light yellow to $1,700 per carat for large stones with an intense red or green color. Oregon Sunstone is the only sunstone variety that contains copper inclusions, giving it a distinct and glittery appearance. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Rare and beautiful mineral crystals, Oregon Sunstones are found only in the high desert of southeastern Oregon. In central Oregon, you can find thunder eggs and other fun mineral specimens. This created a patronage for a gemstone produced in the United States - especially in the state of Oregon. There are a huge variety of valuable rocks, minerals, gemstones and fossils found throughout Oregon. The highest copper concentration makes Oregon sunstones highly-prized and popular among artisans and collectors. Copper-bearing sunstones are found only in the high desert of Southeastern Oregon. Oregon Sunstone was proclaimed as the official State Gemstone in 1987. The color is entirely natural. amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; Dichroics. Red/Green Bi-Color Stepped Paralellogram Oregon Sunstone Gemstone 6.38 Carats Already Sold $4,220.00 This is a unique collection of Sunstone gemstones from Oregon. • Oregon Sunstone contains copper which gives metallic flashes. $8 - $9 per ct. see below. When one thinks of an Oregon Sunstone color, Peach/Pink, is first to come to mind. 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. In the late nineteenth century, ranchers came into Rabbit Basin and cowboys picked up the Sunstone, trading it to local stores and beyond. Oregon sunstone is a little harder than other feldspars with a hardness range of 6.5–7. However, cleaner red sunstone is very rare and commands true gemstone prices. Sunstone can be collected on BLM land near Lakeview, OR. 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. ⓘ Spectrum Mine Check this website for driving directions before you leave. the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area, commercial Dust Devil’s, Spectrum Sunstone and Double Eagle Mines. 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. Light (15% tone to 30%) - Light green/teal/blue with light pink/red center. Christopher L. Johnston, Mickey E. Gunter, and Charles R. Knowles (1991) Sunstone Labradorite from the Ponderosa Mine, Oregon. This is located in the southeast area of Oregon. There are three sunstone productive deposits in Oregon: one in the Lake County and two in the Harney County. Your email address will not be published. Sunstone (Oregon State Gemstone) Oregon’s state gemstone is a feldspar crystal that weathers out of certain lava flows in south-central Oregon. Aventurescence. Although intense red and transparent stones with schiller are very desirable, many color varieties are found in Oregon… Figure 2. A Diversity of Gems. Sunstone occurs in a range of colors that begin with colorless and ranges through to yellow, orange and red. Schillers. At a hardness of 6.5-7.2 on the Moh’s scale it is comparable to agate and quartz and suitable for most any jewelry application. amzn_assoc_linkid = "fd855a152ffbcd7bc972c113db064839"; Navigation Link*** – Navigation to the parking area. Green - 100 parts per million (0.01%). We are a fulltime mining source of Plush Oregon Sunstone. There is a relatively nice toilet/outhouse. The color can shift from green to red and/or all shades of teal blue to red/pink/orange, etc. Sunstone can have a sparkly, metallic-looking luster caused by flat, reflective inclusions. In addition, the quality of the copper colored sunstone material from Oregon is better than anywhere else in the world. Sunstone History and Lore. Most locations are within the private mining claims. 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. Most of the Sunstone you will find in Oregon comes from the Lake County and Harney Country region. Find a unique collection of sunstone gemstones from Oregon. One of Oregon’s premier gemstone mining sites is. Oregon Sunstone is a fully to semi-transparent colored variety of Labradorite Fedspar of the Plagioclase family. Sunstone value is defined by transparency, color, and the quality of aventurescence. Sunstone is a member of the feldspar group of minerals. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) established the Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area in the Rabbit Basin between the Warner Valley and Albert Rim. Some crystals can exhibit colors changes, be showing pink on one side and red on the opposite side of the stone. Quantity. 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. Opening dates for 2015 are Memorial Day Weekend, May 22nd through September 30th. The whole point of coming is to find Sunstones, and we came away with a full ‘baggie” worth – some with color – based on a scoop of “high grade” ore - $200. 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. Read More Oregon Sunstone The primary colors of Oregon Sunstone gems span from water (crystal) clear to soft champagne pinks and brilliant tones of red. However, there is a … • Unique Oregon Sunstones are found only in Southeastern Oregon For more on feldspar classification and nomenclature, see box B in Rossman (2011). amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0898153883,B008ELGS9Y,0762783702,1566919630"; The color of the Sunstone is dependent on the amount of copper that’s found in the stone. The Plush, Oregon, sunstone gemfield (Near Hart Mountain) is located approximately 50 miles northeast of Lakeview, Oregon, and 20 miles north of the tiny town of Plush. We got a ton more and a ton bigger pieces and a lot of actual sunstones rather than just feldspar. There are two main varieties of Sunstone. 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. 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). Don't forget the sunscreen and cold beer if … amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "actilivi0d5-20"; Since it has a Mohs hardness of about 6.5, sunstone is not recommended for rings worn every day. Some Oregon sunstones can exhibit two or three colors at the same time, known as dichroism and trichroism respectively. 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. All custom cuy by Steve Moriarty in a variety of colors and shapes. More resistant than tanzanite the next tanzanite, invest now of Sunstone gemstones Oregon. World where the gem graded sunstones with copper inclusions pricing-i generally price this material is valuable and sell! 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