McKay Designs

The Oregon sunstone, a gem unlike no other in the world, is found in an ancient lakebed in the high desert country of southeastern Oregon. Created 12 million years ago from an eroding basalt flow, this gem-quality crystal is available through McKay Designs.

Designated Oregon's state gem in 1987, the Oregon sunstone is of the feldspar family of crystals and is the only sunstone in the world colored by copper. In higher concentrations, it creates a magical property known as the Schiller effect. This effect infuses the gem with a splash of copper highlights, producing an iridescent, multi-dimensional quality. Originally gathered by Native Americans, the sunstone is said to lend protective energy and provide healing properties.

This Oregon sunstone has won the "cutting edge" award for gems in nine of out the last 10 years by the American Gem Trade Association and in the last few years has made a dramatic gain in popularity and value. There are many different kinds of sunstone, ranging in value and hue. Colors range from champagne hues, to rose, peach and green tones, to luscious oranges and reds. The clear and champagne-colored gems are more common; the red, green and tri-colored stones are rarer. As a distributor of Oregon sunstone through Dust Devil Mines, McKay Designs is able to bring customers a large selection of gems and custom-designed jewelry at very competitive prices. Purchase from our inventory, contact us for a custom design, or view design samples from our Image Gallery.