Truly amazing gemstone I never knew about until now....

[Barrett]

I picked up couple small pieces of "Rainbow Lattice Sunstone".
Fantastic stuff that is mined in Australia. I never heard about it before. GIA classified it as a new gem variety in 1989.

It's a feldspar that is 75% orthoclase and 25% albite.
Most of the material from the small mine in Northern Australia, is moonstone. It display's adularescence like moonstone.
...then it has inclusions of hematite in the stone, that forms in one layer of the feldspar and causes aventurescence, or Sunstone effect, which gives some an orange glow.
On top of that, it has ilmenite inclusions that form in many separate layers, but they only point in two directions.
This is where the term "lattice" comes from. The ilmenite oxidizes, and gets an iridescent sheen, or "rainbow effect"

Here is one of my pieces. Nothing to write home about. They are pretty expensive to buy in rough and cut form.
My hands are black from Manganese oxide due to handling crystals prior to the photo




Check out the good pieces for sale from the mine owners stock.



Check out this one!! Look at the geometric shapes the inclusions have. It looks manmade and not natural....crazy!!!

 

[Barrett]

Here are a few more from the owners stock of ones for sale.
most of these are from a $1000 and up to around $3000, I think.

 

[Seaglow]

Amazing! I've never seen it in the market!

 

[indigoblue]

I learn something new every day. Thanks!

 

[distracts]

Very cool! They do look manmade and not like something naturally formed, which is super neat.

 

[Arcadian]

WANT!!

 

[kgizo]

That is really cool!

 

[chatoyancy]

That is so cool!

 

[GliderPoss]

That is sooooo cool! How utterly amazing! Thanks for showing us.

 

[Desertrose]

Wow those are incredible!!!! Who is selling these by the way?

 

[T L]

Reminds me of meteor slices.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

Confetti Gem! Almost to good to be natural. But it is natural, yes? Not treated?

 

[missy]

Wow, so pretty! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[arglthesheep]

@normanintheskywithsapphires
yes natural no treatment.
Very interesting patterns and colors.
At the moment highly seeked and prices are still rising.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Thanks for posting, I enjoyed viewing the photos and learning new knowledge from this!

 

[pregcurious]

love it!