sunstone

Scope note: Sunstone (also: heliolite) is a plagioclase feldspar that, when viewed from certain angles, has a glittering appearance. Sunstone occurs in metomorphic and igneous rocks in southern Norway, Sweden and parts of the United States. It is also found in Canada, India and Russia (Lake Baikal). The most abundant site is at Tvedestrand in Norway, where it can be found in quartz veins running through the gneiss. The name was given by the mineralogist Jean-Claude Delamétherie in 1801, whose orange-like shimmer was reminiscent of the sun. This particular sparkle is created by the hematite and goethite crystals present in the mineral.

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