types & colors
oregon sunstone types & colors
If you have proven information which could make this list more complete please send all relevant documents and photos/videos to info@ORsunstone.com
color types
There are nearly unlimited color combinations found in Oregon Sunstone. This document lists only the most basic colors.
No.
COLOR
DESCRIPTION
Rarity Rating Range (1-10)
KNOWN OCCURENCE
Colorless, Gold, Straw & Champagne
The most common colors of this gemstone. The vast majority of all Oregon Sunstone mined in all 3 mining regions (Little Eagle Butte, Rabbit Basin and Ponderosa mine) are light gold, light to pastel straw and light champagne. Although fairly common, this material cuts beautiful collector-grade gems and very inexpensive jewelry-size gems.
1 - 4
Colorless, Gold, Straw & Champagne Oregon Sunstone also referred to as “clear Sunstone” is found in all mines across the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney county mining regions of Southern Oregon.
Standard Schiller
Even though the current price is still very low, these are some of the most impressive gems found only in Southern Oregon. Standard Schiller have gold, straw, champagne or pale pinkish base with copper micro-crystal inclusions creating much sought-after Schiller effect. There are many different types and intensities of copper Schiller. See a separate chapter of this Guide for more detail.
2 - 5
Standard Schiller Sunstone is found in all 3 major mining regions of Southern Oregon. There was a find of silver Schiller and silky copper Schiller Sunstone in Mexico but these gems lack beauty and Schiller intensity of true Oregon Sunstone and never became popular amongst collectors and jewelry makers.
Yellow
Yellow is still relatively inexpensive especially in light pastel yellow tones. Rich yellows are rarely seen and this color trades at the higher end of the price spectrum.
2 - 5
Pastel to light yellow is produced by all 3 mining regions of Southern Oregon.
Gold - Pink
This color is usually light pastel to pale. Gold-pink is more desirable and much more attractive compared to plain gold, straw or other “clear sunstone” while still being very affordable for jewelry or personal collections.
2 - 5
Gold-Pink cuprian Oregon Sunstone is found in all mines across the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney County mining regions of Southern Oregon.
Pink
There are several shades of pink which affect the value. From pale pink which is the least expensive variety thru pastel pink all the way to rich, well defined pink with reddish flashes which is considered the most valued in this color.
3 - 6
Pink Oregon Sunstone is found in most mines across the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney county mining regions of Southern Oregon.
Rootbeer, Bronze, Walnut & Mahogany
These 4 colors and their hues are quite unique but lacking rarity and substantially higher price tags of vivid open colors like Red, Green or Blue-Teal, Multicolor, etc. This is also the reason for a fairly low price per carat and increased popularity thru affordability. Many collectors prefer these unusual colors especially in sizes over 4.00 carats.
3 - 6
These unusual and unique colors are found in all 3 mining regions namely the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney county regions. Some of these colors, namely bronze and root-beer is “created” by blending green/teal and red/pink in strongly dichroic stones.
Peach
A very popular and attractive color especially suitable for jewelry. Light to pale peach is less valued compared to pastel and rich peachy color with orangey flashes.
4 - 7
Same as Pink, the Peach Oregon Sunstone is found in most mines across the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney county regions.
Gold - Green
One of the more unusual pastel colors now becoming popular amongst collectors and jewelry makers. Gems in this color are usually very bright and brilliant.
4 - 7
Gold-Green Oregon Sunstone is found in most mines across the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney county regions.
Pink - Orange
Increasingly popular color sought after by jewelry makers, collectors and investors alike. Deeper more defined hues of Pink-Orange are more attractive, more popular with higher per carat price tags compared to their less saturated counterparts.
5 - 8
This beautiful Oregon Sunstone color is found in all commercial mines across the Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and central Harney County.
Copper Red
An increasingly popular and highly attractive color found in several shades & tone/saturation intensities. Richer more saturated gems have higher per carat value compared to its paler counterparts.
5 - 8
Copper Red Oregon Sunstone is typically found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon.
Red-Pink
Beautiful and highly valued color especially suitable for high-end jewelry. Rich tones and more valuable compared to its paler counterparts.
6 - 9
Red-Pink Oregon Sunstone is typically found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon.
Imperial (dichroic)
This is a very unique color exhibiting a gorgeous dichroic blend of pink to copper red-peachy with strong orange-red to pure red fire at both ends or both sides of the gemstone. Imperial Oregon Sunstone strongly resembles the rarest Imperial Topaz from Ouro Preto in Brazil. Imperial Sunstone is highly valued and very popular amongst high-end jewelry makers, collectors and investors.
6 - 9
Imperial dichroic Oregon Sunstone is typically found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon. Some mines produce higher output of this highly valued color than others. Contact mine owners for detailed information.
Padparadscha
Another super exciting and rare color named after the lotus flower. Padparadscha Oregon Sunstone exhibits a perfect blend of pink and orange colors. It is found in several tone/saturation intensities with rich, well defined pink-orange being the most valued one. Clean, well cut gems over 4ct are sought after by investors.
6 - 9
Padparadscha Oregon Sunstone is typically found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon. Some mines produce higher output of this popular color but overall volume of this particular color remains low.
Orange
One of the very popular, rare colors in copper bearing Oregon Sunstone. Orange Sunstone is found in a wide range of tones & shades, from pastel orange to rich orange with red overtones and flashes similar to best Spessartine / Mandarin Garnet. This color is very popular with jewelry markers, collectors and investors alike. Good quality gems over 3ct weight are a great investment.
6 - 9
Orange Oregon Sunstone is found in some mines in Rabbit Basin, Little Eagle Butte and Central Harney County. Overall annual output remains low measured only in hundreds of grams. Contact individual miner owners for details.
Red - Orange
Rare and valued color. Red-Orange Sunstone already belongs to the high-end category and is especially appreciated by jewelry makers and demanding collectors. Clean, well cut gems over 4ct are sought after by investors.
6 - 9
Red-Orange Oregon Sunstone is typically found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon. Some mines produce higher output of this popular color compared to others.
Watermelon
Very unique color producing some extraordinary carved gemstones. There are several tone/saturation levels with the rich greens surrounded by vivid pink or red being the most valued. But even medium to light saturated pieces showing a good color split between the red / pink and green / teal color are highly valued by collectors, jewelry makers and investors alike.
6 - 9
Watermelon Oregon Sunstone is found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon. Some mines produce higher output of this popular color.
Bi-Color
Very unique color split producing some extraordinary cut and carved gemstones. There are several tone and saturation levels with rich well defined colors leading the value charts. But even medium to light saturated pieces showing good color splits are highly valued and sought after by collectors, investors and jewelry makers.
6 - 9
Bi-Color Oregon Sunstone is found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon. Some mines produce higher output of this popular color. Contact the individual mine owner for details.
Red (all standard hues)
Rare highly sought after color by knowledgeable collectors and jewelry makers. Clean gems over 3ct weight are prized by investors and rarity hunters.
7 - 10
Brick Red, black cherry Red, salmon Red and other red hues of Oregon Sunstone is found in all commercial mines of Southern Oregon. Some mines produce higher output of this highly sought-after color. Contact the individual mine owner for details.
Spinel Red & Cherry Red
Both the spinel red and cherry red belong to the rarest and most popular colors of Oregon Sunstone. Value of top red color has been steadily increasing over the years and the biggest jump in value is still to be expected. Some of the most beautiful pieces of high-end jewelry has been set with red Oregon Sunstone. Gems over 3ct weight are highly prized by collectors and investors alike.
7 - 10
Some of the best and most beautiful top red Oregon Sunstone were historically found at Dust Devil, and other Rabbit Basin mines. Little Eagle Butte deposits (PANA mine and Sunstone Butte mine) has been producing large gems in extraordinary quality and color since 2011 (see recent GIA studies). Great vivid red stones were also found in other mines of Southern Oregon.
Neon Red
Neon red Oregon Sunstone represents the most valued type of red color found in this or in matter of fact any other gemstone on face of this Earth. There are only few true neon red Sunstones discovered each year and the value of these gems is increasing fast as the popularity and awareness grows around the Globe. Neon red Sunstone is shockingly beautiful when set in jewelry and there is no other red gemstone which is more beautiful and attractive. Neon red Oregon Sunstone is an even match to even best Burmese rubies or Russian red rubellite.
7 - 10
Some of the best and most beautiful neon red Oregon Sunstone come out of Dust Devil, and other Rabbit Basin mines. Little Eagle Butte deposits (PANA mine and Sunstone Butte mine) has been producing large top quality pieces since 2012 (see recent GIA studies). Great neon red stones were also found in other mines of Southern Oregon.
Green (all standard hues)
All types of green color belong to the very top when it comes to rarity and value. Peacock green, pastel to medium saturated seafoam green, neon green and grass green are amongst the most valued colors ever discovered. Most green Oregon Sunstone is strongly dichroic showing green color on 1 or 2 axis and pink, orange, peachy or red color (or a mixture of these 4 colors) on the remaining axis. Properly oriented faceted gems show predominately green color with secondary flashes of pink, red, orange, peachy and even purple. Oregon Sunstone in medium to deep saturated green is extremely rare and annual output is very low compared to other popular gems like diamond, sapphire, emerald or ruby. Value of these gems is expected to increase greatly over the years. Green dichroic Sunstone is one of the most popular gems used by renowned artists like Darryl Alexander, Dalan Hargrave, John Dyer, Aaron Sangenitto and others.
7 - 10
Little Eagle Butte mining region discovered in 2011 is the prime source consistently producing green Oregon Sunstone in extraordinary sizes and clarity. Other mines in the area also produce absolutely phenomenal green gems. Contact the individual mines for detailed information and availability.
Green-Blue
Blue & Blue-Teal
7 - 10
8 - 10
Green-blue gems are consistently produced by Little Eagle Butte location and commercial mines in Rabbit Basin area. Contact the individual mines for detailed information.
Little Eagle Butte, namely PANA mine and Sunstone Butte mine has been consistently producing some of the finest, largest and most valued blue and blue-teal Oregon Sunstone since its discovery in 2011. Great quality blue-teal Oregon Sunstone is found at other mines in the region for example the Snakebite pit (being worked by Dust Devil mining company), Spectrum and Double Eagle.
Blue and Blue-Teal Oregon Sunstone is leading the rarity and value charts. True rich blue gems (usually with a slight greenish overtone) are extremely rare and annual production is very low compared to all other popular gems like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, tanzanite, etc… These gems are especially prized by top-end jewelers, collectors and knowledgeable investors. The value of blue and blue-teal Oregon Sunstone is expected to grow further into the future as popularity and availability grows around the worlds market.
All shades of green-blue color are extremely rare. Medium to deep gems are more valued compared to their light saturated counterparts. Green-blue faceted Oregon Sunstone over 3.00ct is sought after by investors and rarity hunters. Annual production of rich green-blue Oregon Sunstone is low, usually measured in Oz, not in hundreds of kilos like in case of Sapphire, Tourmaline, Spinel and other popular and highly valued gems. This fact simply suggests that value of these rare gems can only go up over time.
Purple & Burgundy
There are only several gems showing good purple color in existence. I have been mining and dealing with Oregon Sunstone for the past 20 years and we faceted only 3 gems showing distinctively purple color. Purple cuprian Sunstone is really an oddball color because the color purple is not actually inside of the stone but it is rather “created” by careful orientation and faceting of strongly dichroic gems. When you mix teal and certain type of red colors together you will get a beautiful purplish stone with strong flashes of secondary colors namely teal, greenish and reddish. But please do not expect to see an Amethyst-like Oregon Sunstone. There are no 100% pure purple or burgundy Sunstones in existence. Secondary flashes and overtones of the “base” colors are always present in finished faceted gemstone.
8 - 10
Predominately purple Oregon Sunstone were previously faceted out of occasional finds from several Southern Oregon mines.
Multicolor (mystique)
This is the rarest and most valued type of Oregon Sunstone ever discovered. Medium to richly saturated multicolor (also called “Mystique”) gems typically exhibit 3 or more distinctively different colors. All shades of green, blue, teal, red, purple, pink, orange, peach can be seen in a single stone. The type and intensity of each color gradually changes and blends into each other based on lighting conditions and angle of view. Flashes of copper Schiller add beauty and uniqueness to each finished gemstone. There is no other gem on face of this Earth which can duplicate this phenomenon and the looks and variety of color blends of Mystique Oregon Sunstone will become that of legends one day.
8 - 10
Mystique multicolor Oregon Sunstone is consistently mined at Little Eagle Butte with good finds also coming from Rabbit Basin and Central Harney county.
Rarity rating is based on color, tone/saturation, clarity and carat weight
+
x
Schiller types
Up until now there was no unified way of grading copper Schiller in Oregon Sunstone so we created the most logical standard which we hope will bring order and clarity to proper evaluation.
Even though the table below might look way too technical or too confusing it is actually very simple. We looked at Schiller not from the standpoint of type for example pinfire, Schiller lines, Schiller bars, etc but from the actual esthetic and value standpoint.
- The most desirable type of Schiller is the shiny, shimmering type which reflects light strongly so it was assigned a letter “A”.
- Second type of copper Schiller still reflect light nicely but up to 50% of the Schiller might look sleepy or dimmer so it was assigned a letter “B”
- The third type only reflect minimal amount of light (typically up to 10%) and rest of the Schiller looks sleepy, silky and dim. This is the type “C”
- Finally the lowest and least desirable type of Schiller which actually lowers both the value and eye appeal of the faceted or carved stone was assigned a letter “D”. This type of copper Schiller looks muddy to very sleepy and unattractive and only large stones over 10ct are popular amongst gemstone collectors.
Second most important attribute affecting value and eye appeal is the actual Schiller intensity. This was done in a very simple way of assigning 0 (zero) to medium intensity, negative value (-1 to -3) for lower Schiller intensity and positive value (+1 to +3) for stronger chiller effect. If you add these two attributes together you will end up with a very simple yet very effective way of grading all types of Schiller effect. Everyone can learn and master this simple Schiller grading method in matter of minutes.
I believe that this way of grading Schiller in Oregon Sunstone will become internationally accepted and adopted.
Schiller Quality
Schiller Intensity
Very Low
Low
Low-Medium
Medium
Medium-Strong
Very Strong
Strong
High (strongly reflecting in light, preferably with eye appealing Schiller distribution). This is the most desirable type of Schiller in all intensities.
GRADE: A
Value Rating of Standard Schiller
Value Rating of Schiller in Color
A (-3)
70 %
100 %
A (-2)
80 %
100 %
A (-1)
90 %
90 %
A (0)
100 %
80 %
A (+1)
95 %
70 %
A (+2)
90 %
60 %
A (+3)
80 %
50 %
Medium (reflects at least 50% of light with parts of Schiller looking sleepy)
GRADE: B
Value Rating of Standard Schiller
Value Rating of Schiller in Color
B (-3)
55 %
95 %
B (-2)
65 %
95 %
B (-1)
75 %
80 %
B (0)
85 %
70 %
B (+1)
80 %
60 %
B (+2)
75 %
55 %
B (+3)
70 %
50 %
Low (reflects some light but most of the Schiller looks dull and lifeless)
GRADE: C
Value Rating of Standard Schiller
Value Rating of Schiller in Color
C (-3)
40 %
90 %
C (-2)
50 %
90 %
C (-1)
60 %
80 %
C (0)
70 %
70 %
C (+1)
60 %
55 %
C (+2)
50 %
45 %
C (+3)
40 %
40 %
Very Low (this type of copper Schiller looks sleepy to muddy taking away from beauty of the faceted or carved gemstone).
GRADE: D
Value Rating of Standard Schiller
Value Rating of Schiller in Color
D (-3)
30 %
85 %
D (-2)
35 %
85 %
D (-1)
45 %
70 %
D (0)
50 %
60 %
D (+1)
45 %
45 %
D (+2)
35 %
40 %
D (+3)
25 %
35 %
✕