A variety of feldspar, sunstone is closely related to moonstone, and not just for their celestial nomenclature. It is often confused, however, with adventurine, a type of quartz, as sunstone’s actual name is adventurine feldspar. Though the two come from different minerals, both share the property of aventurescence, or a spangled optical effect.
Typically a red-brown hue, sunstone glittery appearance comes from mineral or metallic inclusions that can appear as orange, yellow, golden or red. Sunstone can be found in Canada, Norway, India, Madagascar, and Russia.
The star sunstone displays a beautiful asterism, and occasionally some pieces display the cat’s eye effect. While lesser quality pieces are often shaped into beads or cabochons, sunstone’s durability and unique shine make it a great gemstone for other jewelry as well.