Member of the feldspar group
Sunstone Shop
Synonyms and trade names: Aventurine feldspar, occasionally heliolite
Unusually transparent sunstone from India
Can be confused with: so-called goldstone, a man-made glass with included copper.
Goldstone
Localities: most sunstone comes from India, East Africa and North America.
A deposit in Telemark, Norway, no longer plays a major role in the international gemtrade.
Sunstones from India
Three distinctly diverse sunstones from Tansania
Sunstone from Oregon, USA, is highly coveted (and paid for) by gem connoisseurs and collectors
Oregon Sunstone
In India one occasionally finds sunstones with good asterism (star effect).
Star sunstones
Handling: feldspar has perfect cleavage, so set and wear with care. Do not clean ultrasonically!