Orange Sunstone is famed for its aventurescence, often referred to as 'schiller.' Schiller of an orange sunstone depends on the size of the inclusions that create the phenomenon. Smaller inclusions tend to exhibit more sheen, while larger inclusions generally appear as glittery, spangled metallic reflections. Orange Sunstone is typically orange to reddish, and its spangled appearance is reminiscent of the sun, hence its name 'sunstone.'
Orange Sunstone Properties
Identifying Orange Sunstone is simple by its glittery aventurescence alone, but it can sometimes be confused with other aventurescent gems such as aventurine quartz, or even other similar feldspars, such as orthoclase moonstone. Orange Sunstone is slightly softer than quartz with a hardness rating of 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
Orange Sunstone - Origin and Sources
Although sunstone deposits are in various locations around the world, there is no single source from which it comes. Some of the more significant, notable deposits come from India, Canada, Madagascar, Norway, Russia and the USA (Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Utah). Oregon, USA is famous for producing sunstone included with traces of copper.
