I feel so fortunate to live where I do; to be able to travel to the source of my state gemstone. Oregon sunstone is only found in Oregon! It is a variety of feldspar (like labradorite, bytownite…) that gets it’s color often from copper inclusions. Sometimes we see these little glittery adventurescense and we call it “shiller”.
With the global desire for this gem, the limited supply coming out of the ground, and strict regulations for mining, it has created an opportunity for “knock offs” to be produced.
We first saw this in China. They were producing a gem to rival Oregon sunstone, calling it andesine-labradorite. Through much debate and debacle thanks to some prominent gemologists, it was discovered the Chinese were mining pale yellow labradorite and lattice diffusing it with copper to simulate the same look. These gems are beautiful in their own right; however, they were introduced as “untreated”. GIA advanced testing confirmed these gems were not authentic in color. Jewelry Television (JTV) was a huge distributor of these gems. The price plummeted and folks who bought them prior were offered reimbursement.
Oregon sunstones come in an array of shades of red and bluish greens, yellow, and brown (mix of red and green). Bicolored ones have picked up in popularity too. The cut matters on these gems to fully manifest their inner beauty.
Another thing to watch out for is the cheaper sunstone; more appropriately referred to as “confetti sunstone”. This is actually a different variety of feldspar and tends to come out of countries like Africa and India—along with other countries. These flood the internet and too often are referred to, or sold as “Oregon sunstone”. Sadly, many unsuspecting consumers buy these, believing they have scored a deal in the Oregon material.
I’ve had the pleasure of frequenting mining areas in Oregon and working with several vendors. I offer a variety of set stones in new and “pre-loved” settings. If you ever have questions about this material, I consider this a specialty of mine and would love to assist you.