Introduction
As the name depicts, sunstone is a beautiful reddish-orange gemstone that is believed to be a powerful and energetic source of light and healing vibrations on Earth. Not only is this crystal used for holistic healing purposes, but it is also used in making sunstone jewelry such as a sunstone ring.
In case you are wondering why is this beautiful gemstone called a “sunstone”, you first need to understand aventurescence. What is it? Aventurescence is an optical illusion that makes a gemstone appear to have metallic shimmer or glitter on its surface. It is also known as the “Schiller effect.” When you look at sunstone, it appears that a bunch of glitter specks are shining on the stone’s surface as if it were the sun’s rays, and this is why sunstone is named so.
In this blog, we will discuss various things that you need to be aware of while buying sunstone jewelry, such as what is sunstone, what are the healing properties of sunstone jewelry, things that you need to look in sunstone set in a sunstone ring, how to know if the sunstone set in your sunstone ring is genuine or not, and much more. So, without waiting let's begin with the first and most basic question – what is sunstone?
What Is Sunstone?
Geologically, sunstone is a plagioclase feldspar that is made up of mostly sodium aluminosilicates and sometimes aluminosilicates of calcium. Every sunstone specimen that you see in the market is primarily formed in lava, and then it is sprayed out as the volcano explodes, and it remains covered for some time. On the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness, sunstone ranks between 6 and 6.5. Some people do argue that at times, sunstone can rank as high as 7.2 on the Mohs Scale, but it's quite rare.
In the gemstone and jewelry market, you cannot consider sunstone as a new stone – it has been used by both ancient human civilizations as well as modern human civilizations so as to make beautiful sunstone jewelry and rare artifacts as well. Usually, most sunstones that you will find in the market will possess a reddish-orange color, but there are other types of sunstones available that appear like another type of flame, mixing both orange and green into the same stone.
Are you a July or August baby? If your answer is a yes, then well, you are blessed with sunstone as your secondary birthstone. If you are wondering what is the reason for aventurescence in sunstone, well, it is because of the presence of other minerals such as hematite, pyrite, or goethite.
Healing Properties of Sunstone
Sunstone is believed to be a stone that brings out the inner leader that each one of us has, and it enables us to find our personal power. It is also a wonderful stone to bring balance between masculine energy and feminine energy (or balancing the yin and yang forces within the body), allowing you to experience a new sense of freedom, increased awareness, and an elevated state of consciousness.
Are you someone who has trouble saying “no” to people, because you care a lot about the opinion of people and you don’t have any idea of how to establish a healthy boundary? If yes, then try wearing sunstone jewelry such as a sunstone ring – you will feel more confident, and establishing healthy boundaries that enable you to mark your territory will become easy when it comes to social interactions.
Sunstone jewelry such as a sunstone ring also enables you to overcome depressive thoughts, feelings of despair, and gloominess. Wearing the jewelry of this joyful stone will enable you to leave isolation and it will also increase your self-confidence and self-esteem so it is easy for you to find new friends. This gemstone also promotes hope and it always makes you feel that there is light at the very end of the tunnel.
Factors Determining the Value of a Sunstone Set in a Sunstone Ring
Whenever we evaluate a sunstone while buying a sunstone ring, we need to look for qualities such as color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. These are known as the 4C’s, and all of them play an important role in determining the value of the stone.
Cut
You need a skilled lapidary to cut a sunstone so it displays maximum aventurescence. When cut poorly, sunstone does not display its full optical effect, thus compromising the beauty of the stone. Sunstone can be cut in two different ways - cabochon style or faceted. Faceted sunstones are often cut into shapes such as the round cut, the oval cut, the brilliant cut, or the classic pear cut. When the jeweler wants to showcase the aventurescence of a sunstone, he smoothens and polishes the sunstone to display its best version of aventurescence. So, when you go to buy a sunstone ring, ensure that the ring shows this glittering effect.
Clarity
Clarity is not important when the sunstone is cut in cabochon style because the gemstone is not very translucent. You will find inclusions in a sunstone specimen, and this is why its clarity is dependent upon the inclusions found. You must have heard that for most stones, the presence of inclusions diminishes their value. However, this is not the case with sunstones – inclusions increase the value and beauty of sunstones.
Color
Sunstone comes in a range of colors, such as red, orange, and yellow. Some rare varieties of sunstone do possess deep green and blue tones, but such specimens are very hard to find. While buying a sunstone ring, or any other sunstone jewelry, try getting a sunstone having a reddish-orange color – it is the most desired color.
Carat Weight
Most of the sunstones found in the market are very small, and if you talk in terms of weight, then most sunstones weigh just as much as a single carat. Sunstone is an affordable stone and carat weight does not play a crucial role in its price, value, and desirability as in the case of diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds.
How To Tell if the Sunstone Set in Your Sunstone Ring is Real?
You need to remember that not all sunstones available in the market are authentic. This is why, when you go out to buy any sunstone jewelry, such as a sunstone ring, sunstone necklace, sunstone earring, sunstone bracelet, or sunstone pendant, remember these tips to find the authentic sunstone:
- Check The Color: Any genuine specimen of sunstone possesses a fiery, multi-tonal appearance with little sparkling inclusions. You must always be cautious of stones that appear too solid and stones that lack sparkle – they might be artificial.
- Look For Transparency: Generally, most sunstones range from translucent to transparent, and because of this, they allow light to pass. So, ensure that your sunstone allows the light to pass – if it looks opaque or milky, it might be an imitation of sunstone.
- Check For Hardness: Sunstone ranks between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Mineral hardness, which is why it is relatively hard and can resist most scratches. If your stone gets scratched easily, consider that it is not genuine sunstone.
Conclusion
Sunstone is one of the most joyful stones that you will find in the market. Try wearing a sunstone ring or any other kind of sunstone jewelry – it will definitely uplift your energies. So, are you ready to harness the power of the sun with sunstone? Are you ready to buy sunstone rings and other gemstone rings at wholesale prices?
If yes, then visit Rananjay Exports – India’s top wholesale gemstone jewelry supplier who not only specializes in sunstone jewelry but also specializes in wholesale gemstone jewelry in more than 250+ natural gemstones. Apart from gemstone jewelry, they also sell 925 sterling silver jewelry, so visit their website and explore various jewelry collections at Rananjay Exports.