I just caught some info I need to question. Does red Oregon Sunstone
fade when exposed to sunlight? I didnt think so, but a person that
collects told me that there isnt any red found on the surface as the
sun bleaches them out. I thought it was just because they are so
rare compared to the clear/yellow ones. Any info appreciated.
Thanks
Barney,
Hi all. I have carved and cabbed Oregon sunstone, the red watermelon
one and the schiller also and no it does not fade in the sunlight,
it’s a delight to work with and lovely to feel and hold after its
polished, its one of the few stones along with opal that isn’t
enhanced in any way.
It’s a quality gem stone that should be made more of as its so clean
and takes such a lovely polish and is very reasonably priced, in fact
way underpriced I believe.
All cutters and carvers should have a play with it and you will be
hooked.
Getting back to it fading in the sun, go straight to the horses
mouth and ask the miners at the Dust Devil mine, they have a website
with info on the colors ect ect.
They are great guys to do business with as well. Here is their web
address
http://www.dustdevilmining.com
Bye
Christine in the Ridge
Barney,
I am a sunstone miner and co-owner of several claims. Oregon
Sunstone does not fade in sunlight. The reason that you do not find
many colored sunstones on the surface in the public area is that it
has had decades of being picked over. On numerous occasions I have
found large red, green and watermelon sunstones on the surface of our
various claims. Many of these stones were water worn, indicating that
they have been out of the ground for a long time. You are correct
about the rarity, but also, many rockhounds leave the “clears” and
only pick up the color and schiller stones, so what you see on the
ground reflects this collecting habit.
Richard Shull
www.outofourmines.com
Oregon Sunstone does not fade in sunlight.
Exactly. I have a few jars of red centers that were collected from
the surface during meanderings in the area in the early 1970’s. It
doesn’t fade, however…
I have no idea if the material that is offered on some of the
shopping channels, which has been diffusion treated to create a red
color will fade. It may be important to make a distinction, as there
are TONS of treated material floating around being sold as “red
andesine”. One of the biggest hoaxes of modern times, IMO. And it’s
the Official Gemstone of the 2008 Olympics!
Wayne
Continue from:
The sun will not bleach them but they will weather to sericite and
eventually kaolinite. This will cause the feldspar to whiten and so
lose its schillerescence.
Nick