Sunstone Crystal

Sunstone Lakshmi and Ganesha idols and bracelets. Two products in this collection.

About the stone

Sunstone is a feldspar with an effect called aventurescence — the warm orange glitter that appears as you turn it. The glitter is caused by thousands of tiny plate-like inclusions of copper or hematite lying parallel inside the stone, each catching the light at the same moment. It is a real optical effect from real mineral inclusions, not a surface treatment.

Worth knowing: the material sold as goldstone is a man-made copper-flecked glass and is a different thing entirely, despite looking superficially similar. Natural sunstone shows uneven, directional glitter; goldstone glitters evenly everywhere, because the copper in it was mixed in deliberately.

Most sunstone comes from India, Norway, Russia and Oregon.

Traditional associations

Sunstone is traditionally the warm, daytime counterpart to moonstone — the two are often kept as a pair in crystal practice. That pairing is a tradition, and that is how we sell it.

Care

Feldspar has cleavage planes, so sunstone chips if knocked hard. Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Keep it out of prolonged strong sunlight, which fades the orange over long periods, and away from perfume and cleaning sprays.

What this is, and what it isn't

Sunstone is a natural feldspar with copper or hematite inclusions. Crystals have a long place in tradition and in ritual practice, and that is the spirit in which we sell them. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that any stone treats, cures or prevents a medical condition, changes your finances, or alters the physical energy of a room. Nothing on this page is medical, psychological or financial advice.