Explore the Dazzling Shades of Sunstone, a Kaleidoscopic Masterpiece Known as Rainbow Lattice Sunstone
Rainbow Lattice Sunstone: A Rare and Vibrant Gemstone
Rainbow lattice sunstone, a unique and captivating gemstone, is primarily found in one exclusive location in Australia. Known for its distinctive optical properties and rarity, this gemstone is highly prized by collectors and jewellery enthusiasts alike[1][5].
Properties and Characteristics of Rainbow Lattice Sunstone
The stone's most striking feature is its rainbow lattice pattern, caused by inclusions within the crystal. This gives the stone a vibrant play of colors and a lattice-like internal structure visible under light[1][3]. The lattice pattern is believed to resonate with cosmic energies, purportedly aligning with the higher self, opening crown and third eye chakras, enhancing intuition, and promoting astral travel[1][5].
Rainbow lattice sunstone is one of the rarest sunstones, with only small, exclusive batches mined each year, making it exceptionally valuable[1]. It is said to dissolve energetic blockages, balance mind-body-spirit, and carry “celestial encoded light” linked to ascension and DNA activation[1]. The sunstone’s play-of-color includes flashes of red, gold, and rainbow hues, distinct from typical sunstones found elsewhere.
Minerals Responsible for Its Optical Effects
The aventurescence (the sparkling effect) and rainbow lattice pattern in rainbow lattice sunstone arise primarily from inclusions of hematite and magnetite. These metallic mineral inclusions within the crystal lattice create reflection and refraction effects that produce the characteristic shimmer and rainbow colors[3].
By contrast, in related feldspar minerals like labradorite and sunstone, aventurine effects are often caused by inclusions of hematite, magnetite, ilmenite, and sometimes microscopic copper particles[2][4].
Optical Phenomena Explained
Aventurescence is the glittery or sparkling effect caused by light reflecting off tiny, flat mineral inclusions such as hematite and magnetite flakes inside the stone[3][4]. Adularescence is a soft, glowing light that appears to float below the surface of a gemstone, typically seen in moonstone but also related to light interference in layered feldspar crystals; however, for rainbow lattice sunstone, aventurine-based sparkle dominates its unique optical display[2].
Analysis of the Sunstone
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was used to identify the mineral composition of the host feldspar in the sunstone analyzed by Lui et al. The XRD pattern identified it as orthoclase (OrAb)[1]. Raman spectroscopy was used to further confirm the identity of the host feldspar and the inclusions in the sunstone. The Raman spectrum of the host feldspar showed peaks at 455, 474, and 513 cm, proving its identity as orthoclase[1].
The inclusions causing the lattice appearance in rainbow lattice sunstone were found to be composed of hematite and magnetite. The main Raman shifts of the black lattice-forming inclusions were 303, 538, and 664 cm, which fit nicely with magnetite[1]. The inclusions causing the aventurescence phenomenon in the sunstone were found to be composed of hematite[1].
The black inclusions in rainbow lattice sunstone can be strongly magnetic, as proven by their attraction to a Nd-Fe-B magnet[1]. The magnetite and hematite inclusions in the sunstone form very thin blades that occur within planes of a single orientation at different levels in the feldspar[1]. Electron microprobe analysis was used to establish the composition of small areas of the specimen, and is non-destructive[1].
Origin and Association
The Harts Range comprises a complex assemblage of granite gneiss, marble, calc-silicate, amphibolite, psammite and pelite that have been metamorphosed to upper amphibolite to granulite facies[1]. The igneous rocks in the Harts Range are generally associated with widespread metasomatic granitisation[1]. The feldspars are a family of silicate minerals that occur in igneous rocks[1].
The feldspar variety known as sunstone refers to a gem's appearance rather than its chemical makeup[1]. Rainbow lattice sunstone exhibits both aventurescence and adularescence, and is found in the Harts Range, north-east from Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia[1]. The unaltered magnetite in the sunstone is black with a metallic sheen[1].
The article "Revisiting Rainbow Lattice Sunstone from the Harts Range, Australia" was originally published in The Journal of Gemmology in 2018[1]. The article was authored by Jia Liu, Andy H. Shen, Zhiqing Zhang, Chengsi Wang, and Tian Shao[1].
[1] Lui, J., Shen, A. H., Zhang, Z., Wang, C., & Shao, T. (2018). Revisiting Rainbow Lattice Sunstone from the Harts Range, Australia. The Journal of Gemmology, 39(3), 277-294.
- To understand the unique optical properties of rainbow lattice sunstone, researchers analyzed its composition using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, discovering hematite and magnetite inclusions responsible for the gemstone's aventurescence and lattice pattern.
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