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amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; This illustration shows how magma in a reservoir deep underground ascended to form a submarine volcano in the Indian Ocean. Since it has a Mohs hardness of about 6.5, sunstone is not recommended for rings worn every day. Oregon sunstone collecting: There are a few places where you can go to collect Oregon Sunstone. Oregon Sunstone Grading System - by Jeff Graham. Where you can collect your own Plush Oregon Copper Bearing Sunstone, Directions to our Oregon Sunstone Mine. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; 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. Sunstone Description. 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. South-central and southeastern Oregon is the only area in the world where the gem graded sunstones with copper inclusions are found. Find a unique collection of sunstone gemstones from Oregon. Oregon Sunstones. Sunstone schiller usually results in a gold, red, orange or yellow shimmer, but occasionally, it can also occur green or blue. A Diversity of Gems. Oregon has an abundance of gems, minerals and fossils that you can collect. 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. Most locations are within the private mining claims. However, Oregon Sunstones differ from the classic specimens. Feldspar. It was now time to move on to another location in search of a different type of gem. Facet Grade. Loose Sunstone From Around The World For Sale. This color really shows off the dark inclusions of schiller better than some other colors. Medium Reds. Sunstone from Oregon is gaining attention as a natural and untreated product of the United States. Here is a list of these "fee mining sites," where anyone can pay a fee and look for gems and minerals. 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_title = "My Amazon Picks"; DISCLAIMER: This website or the contributor have made great efforts to provide accurate, complete and detailed information. In July 2013, our family traveled to the middle of nowhere to hunt for Oregon’s gemstone: the Oregon Sunstone. Schillers. Champagne or Clear specimens can often be … Sunstone is a plagioclase feldspar, which when viewed from certain directions exhibits a spangled appearance. Oregon Sunstone is found in only one locality on Earth —Southern Oregon. $10 per ct. see below. Sunstone color relates to the amount of copper in the stone – 20 parts per million for yellow, 200 parts per million for red. Some exceptional stones can show more than one color. When one thinks of an Oregon Sunstone color, Peach/Pink, is first to come to mind. In addition, the quality of the copper colored sunstone material from Oregon is better than anywhere else in the world. It … Sunstone is Oregon’s state gem, granted that status in 1987 after being recognized by the US government as a gemstone in the 1970s. 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. The stones from the … Green - 100 parts per million (0.01%). 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 … Bi Color - No or very little schiller. The color of the Sunstone is dependent on the amount of copper that’s found in the stone. Christopher L. Johnston, Mickey E. Gunter, and Charles R. Knowles (1991) Sunstone Labradorite from the Ponderosa Mine, Oregon. Although intense red and transparent stones with schiller are very desirable, many color varieties are found in Oregon… 1987. Oregon sunstone is a variety of labradorite that frequently displays a stunning aventurescence, or “glowing” or “glittery” schiller effect, caused by copper inclusions. Opening dates for 2015 are Memorial Day Weekend, May 22nd through September 30th. Sun Summit Mine is located in south-central Oregon and produces Oregon sunstone, one of the world’s more rare and beautiful gemstones. Sunstone is a variety of a mineral called oligoclase. It has a rare unique quality of being color shifting…properly called Dichroism and Pleochroism. 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. Oregon Sunstone is a fully to semi-transparent colored variety of Labradorite Fedspar of the Plagioclase family. 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. More specifically near the small town of Plush. The Oregon Rockhounding Map provides information about some of the many rockhounding sites of the state of Oregon. 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. Double Eagle #16 Mine is open to the public for fee digging of Oregon Sunstone, keep all that you find. The lava was covered by water for thousands of years until dry weather, winds extreme temperatures dried out the lake entirely. Quantity. Hold a nugget of Oregon sunstone in your palm, and you will understand why the 1987 Oregon legislature designated it as the official state gemstone. Oregon Sunstones. 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. Light (15% tone to 30%) - Light green/teal/blue with light pink/red center. It was now time to move on to another location in search of a different type of gem. 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. It is relatively inexpensive per carat, making sizes in the three to ten carat range approachable. When one thinks of an Oregon Sunstone color, Peach/Pink, is first to come to mind. The color can shift from green to red and/or all shades of teal blue to red/pink/orange, etc. In Oregon, sunstone occurs in the south, central portion of the state near the California border. Oregon sunstone is a little harder than other feldspars with a hardness range of 6.5–7. John Dyer & Co - Large 12.49ct bi-color cuprian Oregon Sunstone in outstanding quality and value!. This created a patronage for a gemstone produced in the United States - especially in the state of Oregon. Where you can collect your own Plush Oregon Copper Bearing Sunstone, Directions to our Oregon Sunstone Mine. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; A free location is the Bureau of Land Management's Oregon Sunstone Public Collection Area. Light is reflected from the tiny copper platelets and when viewed from the certain angles exhibit a bright flash of light to the eye. Oregon Sunstones are Oregon’s state gemstone, and if you’re willing to drive (and drive and drive), they’re free for the taking. amzn_assoc_asins = "1889786446,1889786535,087842654X,0870715739"; Your email address will not be published. The most famous sunstone deposits in the United States are located in Oregon. The great variety of feldspar gems … Uncommon in its composition, clarity, and colors, it is a large, brightly colored transparent gem in the feldspar family. This is what changes the sunstones color from yellow (less copper) to red (more copper). Rare and beautiful mineral crystals, Oregon Sunstones are found only in the high desert of southeastern Oregon. The Reds and Greens are the rarest amongst the color families. In south central Oregon, there are many mining operations near the town of Plush where you can search for Oregon Sunstone. Sunstone (Oregon State Gemstone) Oregon’s state gemstone is a feldspar crystal that weathers out of certain lava flows in south-central Oregon. There is a relatively nice toilet/outhouse. 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. Pricing-I generally price this material $90/ct to $140/ct and a minimum of $150 for a small stone to cover the labor. ⓘ Spectrum Mine (Image credi... What Causes The Color In Oregon Sunstone? amzn_assoc_linkid = "fd855a152ffbcd7bc972c113db064839"; Navigation Link*** – Navigation to the parking area. Copper-bearing sunstones are found only in the high desert of Southeastern Oregon. Sunstone is found in the high desert of Southeastern Oregon near the small town of Plush in Warner Valley and declared the official Gemstone of the State of Oregon in 1987. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Opening dates for 2015 are Memorial Day Weekend, May 22nd through September 30th.