Oregon Sunstone Buying Guide

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by Suzanne Charlebois, Gemologist for Prestige Evaluation

Buying and selling Oregon sunstone can be difficult. The beauty and diversity of this gem make it hard for people to describe and price accurately. In my research, I’ve looked for commonalities and averages in order to best describe and price individual gems. I hope this article will serve as a visual and descriptive reference for grading and pricing Oregon sunstone.

Oregon Sunstone Buying: General Advice

Multiple factors must be considered when pricing any gemstone, not the least of which are cut and overall beauty. This represents a real limitation to online pricing research. Unfortunately, most websites don’t list cut quality as part of their grading criteria in their descriptions. The price guidelines outlined below are primarily based on pricing by reputable dealers who have physical points of retail. (Web-based pricing was only used in instances where there was not enough data available otherwise. eBay was used as a last resort).

Beware of buying Oregon sunstones online. This gemstone is notoriously hard to photograph because of its strong pleochroism (its display of two or three distinct colors when viewed from different angles). Dealers often price their inventory based on beauty. Of course, beauty can be quite subjective and emotional. In this digital age, it’s also easy to manipulate photos. For these reasons, the price guidelines below represent the middle ground determined from both a physical and online sampling of at least three to six comparable pieces from reputable dealers.

Oregon Sunstone Buying: Seven Distinct Looks

Physical samples of gem-quality faceted Oregon sunstone were provided by B.S. Rocks and Gems.

Schiller

A “schiller stone” is basically any stone that is translucent to opaque due to schiller inclusions of copper and lead. Some of the finer quality schiller variety have an iridescent shimmer effect, while lower quality stones will seem dull and lifeless.

• Color Intensity: Light, medium, deep
• Color Range: Clear, gold, peach, coral, orange, red, green
• Transparency: Translucent to Opaque

The price range is consistently between $38-$70 per carat regardless of size or color.

Clear Hues

This stone is clear or fair in color with very little to no inclusions (up to I3). The higher quality stones will be very clear with even color or have distribution of two or more distinct colors.

Lesser quality stones will be banded with bold inclusions.

• Color Intensity: Light
• Color Range: Clear, gold, peach, coral, pink, red, green, blue
• Transparency: Transparent

Mid-Deep Tones

Any stone that is even with one dominant color in mid to deep tones. Transparent with little to no schiller (up to I3). The higher quality stones will have one dominant, distinct color.

Lower quality stones will look muted. For example, a gem with equal parts red and green that are even throughout the stone will make the piece appear brownish.

• Color Intensity: Medium to deep
• Color Range: Strong Peach, orange, red, green, blue
• Transparency: Transparent

Constellation, AKA Aventurescent

Even coloring, up to one or two distinct colors, in a mid to deep tone with defined copper platelets that create a distinct constellation effect. The stone appears to have an internal light source.

Higher end stones will have a very defined constellation pattern. Lower end stones will have too much interference or not enough light return.

• Color Intensity: Medium to deep
• Color Range: Strong peach, orange, red, green, blue
• Transparency: Transparent

Two Tone – Dichroic

Two distinct colors of equal intensity, seen from different angles, on opposite ends of the color spectrum. For example: red/green or blue, orange/green, peach/moss.

Finer stones will have a good, even representation of both colors throughout the stone. The color in lesser quality gems will be blotchy or zoned.

• Color Intensity: Medium to deep
• Color Range: Strong peach, orange, red, green, blue
• Transparency: Transparent

Classic Sunstone

Defined color in the center of the stone, with clear or very light hues surrounding the “sun” center.

• Color Intensity: Combination of light-medium or light-deep
• Color Range: Gold, peach, coral, pink, red, green, blue
• Transparency: Transparent

Note: There was a limited sampling of larger sized stones, which may affect pricing accuracy.

Mystique

Any stone that displays three or more distinct colors and must have BLUE/green. All colors must be visible with the unaided eye. Little to no schiller (up to I3).

• Color Intensity: Light, medium, deep
• Color Range: Gold, peach, coral, pink, red, green, blue
• Transparency: Transparent