Oregon Sunstone Jewelry for Mother's Day

My father and my brother-in-law were both avid rock hounds. What's more, they both spent most of their lives in the State of Oregon, but never once did I hear either of them mention an unusual and beautiful gem known as the Oregon Sunstone. Since both of them were really interested mostly in Opal and Turquoise stones, and since I had never even heard of Oregon Sunstone myself until recently, I guess I'll have to forgive them for their lack of attention to our state gemstone.

You can bet though, if I had known how lovely the Sunstone is, I would have pestered my Dad or brother-in-law until they made me a necklace or bracelet using it. The Oregon Sunstone is really lovely, and fairly inexpensive when compared with a number of other popular gemstones. Any mother would be thrilled to receive a gift designed with a colorful centerpiece of Oregon Sunstone for Mother's Day.

Oregon Sunstone is mostly a pale yellow, but has shown up in a variety of colors. As with a lot of other gemstones, the clear or light colors are not as valued as the darker ones. Dark red is the most favored Sunstone color, although pale yellow is also very pretty, too. Green and salmon pink Sunstone are also frequently found.

Copper crystals in the stone is what makes the varying color found in Oregon Sunstone. The more copper crystals, the darker colored your stone will likely be. Most Sunstone is found in very small pieces so, in order to turn it to where it shows its coloring to best advantage, it is best used in small jewelry items such as earrings.

Oregon's Sunstone is mostly located near Plush, Oregon, in south central Oregon. There are some Sunstone mines there, where you can go in and hunt for your own gemstones for a fee, but the Bureau of Land Management has set aside 4 square miles for rock collectors to hunt for free.

If you are lucky enough to be traveling to this area, by all means, stop by and try your hand at finding your own gemstones, but carry plenty of supplies. Plush, Oregon, population 100, is small and far from the usual amenities travelers usually require. They do, however, keep lots of gems on hand in rough and in cut form to sell to tourists who prefer not to do their own digging.

If you are like me, and enjoy doing your shopping online, check out the links provided with this article. Some of Oregon's finest jewelry designers have incorporated Oregon Sunstone into beautiful pieces that any mother would be proud to wear. I know I would.