Sunstone is an ancient gem, in fact, sunstones have been discovered in Viking Burial mounds. They are also found in Mexico, China, Norway, Russia, Africa and the United States. Native Americans valued sunstone nuggets, trading them across western America and using them in Medicine Wheel ceremonies. Sunstone is the state stone of Oregon, where many of the finest specimens are mined.Oregon sunstones are uncommon in their composition, clarity, and range of colors. Some Oregon sunstones exhibit a glow from within due to millions of microscopic copper platelets, known as “schiller”. Colors of the stone vary from clear, champagne, yellow, light pink, salmon, orange, and red to blue-green. Intense red and blue-green are the colors that are most rare. The darker stones contain larger amounts of copper. Sometimes, when viewed from different angles, as many as three colors will show within one stone.
