Welcome, and thanks for visiting!  Oregonsunstone.com is the premier destination for top quality Oregon Sunstone.  We are the owners of the Ponderosa Mine, which gives us the unique opportunity to provide you with one of the most beautiful, all natural gemstones in the world.  We hope you will take a few moments to explore our product offerings and encourage you to acquire a truly spectacular all-American product.

 

 

-all-natural 
Oregon Sunstone from the Ponderosa Mine is not enhanced in any way like many other gemstones.  There is no use of chemicals, irradiation, heat-treating, or oiling of any kind.  What you get is exactly as the stone exists in nature, simply beautiful.

 

-american 
Ponderosa Mine Sunstone is mined in the heart of the Ochoco National Forest in the lovely state of Oregon.  We are extremely proud of the fact that when you buy our Sunstone, you are guaranteed that it is one of the few natural American gemstones available. 

 

-unique 
Unique to Sunstone from Oregon is the schiller phenomenon, caused by the millions of microscopic copper platelets found in each stone.   The schiller phenomenon makes the Sunstone appear to glow as if it had it's own internal light source, and creates a beautiful shimmer effect inside the stone. 

 

-colorful
The Ponderosa mine produces Sunstone in a vast array of color.  While the most often seen are pinks, peaches, and oranges, you can also find pale yellows, reds, greens and blue-greens.  Some of the rarest Sunstones are bi or tri-colored, containing a spectrum of colors all in one stone.  Still others are bichroic and dichroic color-change stones - which produce different colors under different lights and at different angles. 

 

-versatile
Unline other gemstones, Sunstone is versatile enough to wear every day.  It blends with a wide range of colors, almost whatever you choose to wear it with.  It also looks good against all different skin tones, from light to dark.

 

-beautiful
The characteristics of Sunstone allow it to be cut and polished in many different methods, all of which are beautiful.  Whether you're looking for a unusual carving, a cabochon, or a faceted stone, Sunstone makes a wonderful addition to any gemstone and jewelry collection.  
 

 

If you are a metal clay artist and use Precious Metal Clay or Art Clay Silver, try some Oregon Sunstone with your next design! Many of the pictures in our gallery are designers who have incorporated our all-natural gemstone into their metal clay designs for truly unique jewelry pieces. Sunstone has been tested in the kiln, and is safe to fire in place with many types of metal clay. See Gemstone firing chart for specific gemstone testing.

 

 

Oregonsunstone.com sells loose gemstones with wholesale pricing. There is a minimum order of $50. Orders which do not meet the minimum order requirement will incur a $5 small order fee.

 

 

Oregon Sunstone is an all-natural gemstone, so there will be variations in color from the pictures on this site, as well as from stone to stone. If you would like us to try and match stones for you, please indicate this in the item notes upon checkout. Please note this may not be possible with the stock on hand, and may also delay the shipment of your order.

 

 

Formed and crystalized in lava flows, Sunstone is a member of the feldspar group of minerals and is closely related to moonstone.  Unique to Sunstone from Oregon is the "Schiller" phenomenon, caused by the millions of microscopic copper platelets found in each stone.   The "Schiller" phenomenon makes the stone appear to glow as if it had it's own internal light source.  Sunstone is the official Oregon State Gemstone.  It is also an ancient gem and has been discovered in Viking burial mounds, who thought it a talisman for navigation.
 

To date, Sunstone has been mostly a niche type gemstone that is very popular with designers and collectors.  We hope to introduce more people to the beauty of this gemstone, and are excited about new developments that will help us accomplish this goal.  The Ponderosa Mine has recently been patented, with the company now owning over 60 acres of land where the mine resides.  We can now produce Sunstone in colors and sizes never before available.  The Ponderosa Mine has proven extensive reserves that will guarantee a consistent source of superb quality gemstones for many years to come. 

There are many other products on the market that call themselves Sunstone but have very different characteristics, so be careful when comparing them to Oregon Sunstone from The Ponderosa Mine.   Our Sunstone is all natural, produces a very rich color range and contains the brilliance of copper or "schiller".

Sunstone Specifications:

Hardness                 6-7.2

Refractive Index       1.559-1568

Specific Gravity        2.70

Species                    Labradorite Feldspar

Crystal System         Triclinic

Phenomenon           "Schiller"