The sparkle in natural sunstone is named after a fake. Gemologists call it aventurescence, from avventurina, the Venetian glitter glass sold today as goldstone, so a stone that formed deep underground carries the name of a glassmaker's lucky accident. The glass came first in name, and the real stone borrowed it.
The sunstone meaning is joy and confidence, the warmth of owning your own light. And there's a tilt test that shows, in about three seconds, whether you're holding sunstone or the glass sold in its place.
Sunstone quick facts
- Chakra: Sacral, solar plexus
- Zodiac: Leo, Libra
- Element: Fire, air
- Planet: The Sun
- Color: Orange, peach, red-brown and gold, often with glittering flecks
- Hardness: 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale
- Commonly from: India, Norway, Russia, the United States (Oregon)
- Pairs with: carnelian, citrine, goldstone
Warmth you can carry
Joy. Sunstone is a stone for lightness and pleasure in ordinary days, the mood of the first warm afternoon of spring.
Confidence. As a solar plexus stone, it's linked to self-worth and stepping forward instead of shrinking back.
Generosity. Like the sun it's named for, sunstone is read as warmth that spreads, sharing good energy with the people around you.
Its old mineral name, heliolite, is Greek for "sun stone," from helios, sun, and lithos, stone.
Sun, sacral and solar plexus
Sunstone belongs to the sacral chakra, for creativity and pleasure, and the solar plexus chakra, for confidence and personal power (more stones for it in our solar plexus chakra crystals). Its planet is the Sun, which rules Leo in astrology, so Leo is its natural sign. Libra, an air sign, gives sunstone its second element, air, and it appears beside Leo on most lists.
Studios, stage fright and short winter days
- On a windowsill where it can catch the morning light
- On a desk before a pitch, an interview or a performance
- In a pocket during the dark months of winter
- In an art studio or a craft room
- In meditation, held at the solar plexus
- As a gift for a summer birthday or a new graduate
A sunrise list. Set your sunstone where the first daylight reaches it. Before you open your phone, write three small things you enjoyed yesterday and tuck the list under the stone until evening.
The tilt test: sunstone or goldstone
Goldstone, a man-made glitter glass, is sometimes sold as sunstone. Both sparkle, but the sparkle behaves differently.
| Natural sunstone | Goldstone | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Natural feldspar | Man-made glass with metal flakes |
| Sparkle | Flashes in bursts when tilted, from flakes lined up inside | Even glitter everywhere, from every angle |
| Look | Uneven color, often with crackled or cloudy areas | Even color, no cracks |
| Hardness | 6 to 6.5 | About 5.5 to 6 |
Tilt the stone slowly under a lamp. Natural sunstone flashes in bursts, because its flakes lie parallel to one another, while goldstone glitters the same from every angle. Our goldstone guide explains how the glass is made.
One tower, two kinds of glitter
Stand our sunstone tower next to the goldstone tower on a sunny shelf and walk past: the sunstone flashes in bursts, the goldstone glitters steadily. To wear sunstone's golden mood, citrine dreamcatcher earrings carry citrine, with the dreamcatcher for good dreams and protection, and the citrine guide tells its story of color. Carnelian, explored in the carnelian guide, is the other classic partner for creative warmth.
Caring for sunstone
At 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, sunstone is durable for everyday handling, though it has cleavage planes that can chip with a hard knock. Clean it with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap, then pat it dry. Keep it apart from harder stones such as quartz. To cleanse it, set it in a sunny window for an hour in the morning. Quick care facts for every stone we carry are in our crystal care chart. Every crystal in our shop is smudged with sage and charged in the moonlight before it ships.
Sunstone FAQ
Is sunstone natural?
Yes. True sunstone is a natural feldspar. Goldstone, a man-made glass, is sometimes sold under its name.
Is sunstone a feldspar or a quartz?
A feldspar, a little softer than quartz. Sunstone can be one of several feldspars: oligoclase is common, and Oregon sunstone is labradorite.
Can sunstone go in water?
A quick rinse is fine. Dry it right away and skip long soaks, since water can work into its cleavage cracks.
Is sunstone rare?
Ordinary orange sunstone is common and affordable. Clear, gem-quality Oregon sunstone, especially red or green, is rarer and more valuable.
Is sunstone good for engagement rings?
It can be, with care. At 6 to 6.5 it's softer than sapphire or diamond, so a protective setting helps for daily wear.
Can you wear sunstone on your wrist?
Yes. Sunstone beads hold up to daily wear, and their flash catches the light with every movement.
Why sunstone glitters
Sunstone is a feldspar filled with thin, flat inclusions of hematite, goethite or, in Oregon, copper. When the platelets are large enough, light catching them at the right angle makes them flash all at once, an effect called aventurescence, the same glitter that gives green aventurine its sparkle. Smaller inclusions give only a soft sheen. Oregon's copper-bearing sunstone, the state's official gemstone since 1987, can grow large and clear, while the crackled orange sunstone in most crystal shops comes mostly from India and Norway.
Each piece we sell is one of a kind, and the one pictured is the one you'll receive.