The Complete Sunstone Guide

Sunstones, properly cared for, may last for a lifetime, despite being somewhat brittle at times
Sunstones are somewhat delicate and care must be taken in setting them or used in rings
A clean, water-dampened cloth, containing no soaps or cleaning agents, is the best way to clean the gems
Large gems and richness of colour are important factors which collectors consider as well as carved stones from established lapidary artists

Sunstones are generally not treated
Color: some andesine was recently found to be treated with diffustion to achieve rich red and yellow colors to imitate sunstones

This gem often exhibits warm red to brown and yellow body colours, an allusion to the name
Its phenomenal nature, however, is equally captivating. When interacting with light, similarly oriented, miniscule inclusions of copper or hematite platelets exhibit glittering, spangled reflections, shimmering through different depths within the gem
Some experts refer to this phenomenon as aventurescence; others refer to this optical effect as schiller

Most sunstones are eye-clean, particularly those from their most famous location in Oregon

Some specialized cutters create unique cuts and several lapidary artists choose to carve them