Turn a piece of sunstone in the light and it flashes. Tiny plates of copper or hematite suspended inside the feldspar catch the sun and throw it back as a warm orange-gold glitter, an effect gemologists call aventurescence and everyone else calls sparkle. That flash is why sunstone has been carried as a good-luck and vitality stone for centuries, and why it makes such a satisfying palm stone to turn over in your hand. Most sunstone in shops today is Indian sunstone, a peach-orange feldspar with hematite glitter; Oregon sunstone, colored by copper, is the state gem and the rarer collector's form. At Plentiful Earth we carry sunstone as tumbled stones by the pound, polished points and obelisks, palm stones, free forms, and chip pendants, so you can find the glitter at whatever size suits you.
What You'll Find Here
Tumbled sunstone. Sold by the pound, smooth and pocket-sized, the form for carrying, gridding, gifting, and filling a bowl on a windowsill where the afternoon light can find it.
Points and obelisks. A top-polished point or a seven-inch obelisk gives sunstone a place on a desk or altar where the flash is visible from across the room. Points are also used to direct energy in grid work.
Palm stones and free forms. A palm stone is shaped to sit in the hand during meditation. Free forms are larger, one-of-a-kind polished pieces that show the stone's natural banding and glitter at their best.
Sunstone jewelry and kits. Chip bottle necklaces, a strength-of-mind necklace, and the Happiness Kit, which pairs sunstone with two other uplifting tumbled stones.
What Is Sunstone Used For?
Sunstone is the crystal-lore stone of the sun, of confidence and personal power, and of shaking off a heavy mood. It is tied to the sacral and solar plexus chakras, and practitioners pair it with moonstone to balance sun and moon, action and rest. People who struggle with dark winters often keep a piece where they will see it first thing in the morning. In candle magic and prosperity work it stands in for the sun itself, for warmth, growth, and good fortune.
Sunstone is a feldspar with a hardness of 6 to 6.5, tough enough for tumbling and daily carry. Clean it with warm water and a soft cloth, and give it real sunlight now and then; unlike amethyst or rose quartz, it will not fade.
Explore Related Collections
The natural partner to sunstone is moonstone, its feldspar cousin, and it sits comfortably beside carnelian and citrine among the warm, energizing stones. Browse it with the other tumbled stones, in Leo and Aries zodiac collections, or across our whole crystal shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sunstone?
Sunstone is a feldspar mineral, usually oligoclase or labradorite, that contains tiny flat inclusions of copper or hematite. Those plates reflect light and give the stone its glittering flash, called aventurescence.
What is the difference between Oregon sunstone and Indian sunstone?
Oregon sunstone gets its color and schiller from copper and can be pale yellow, orange, red, or green; it is the state gemstone of Oregon and is mined for faceting. Indian sunstone is orange-peach feldspar with hematite glitter and is the form sold as tumbled stones, palm stones, and beads. Both are real sunstone.
What does sunstone mean spiritually?
Sunstone is associated with the sun, joy, confidence, leadership, and luck. Crystal healers use it for the sacral and solar plexus chakras and for lifting low mood.
Is sunstone the stone the Vikings used to navigate?
Probably not. The Norse sunstone of the sagas, if it existed, was most likely Iceland spar, a clear calcite that polarizes light. The glittering feldspar sold as sunstone today is a different mineral that borrowed the name.
Can sunstone go in water?
Yes, for cleaning or a short cleanse. Avoid long soaks for polished points, which can dull, and keep it out of salt water.
Which zodiac sign is sunstone for?
Leo most of all, as a solar sign, with Libra and Aries also claiming it in various traditions.
