Rainbow lattice sunstone is a feldspar comprised of 75 percent orthoclase and 25 percent albite. They then assessed and sampled the area that showed potential for a mining lease, and, having enough stock to supply the market, started the lease application process.Īrthur said the company expects it be approved later this year. In 2015, Arthur and a second gemologist created Asterism Gems. ![]() Here are five things to know about rainbow lattice sunstone.ĭarren Arthur and a late friend, Sonny Mason, were the original discoverers of the material in 1985.Īrthur said Mason had a small claim on it for some years, with small amounts of rainbow lattice sunstone filtering into the market over time, but that claim lapsed a few years ago. It is rare for aventurescence to occur together with adularescence, and the material is made even more interesting when you add the presence of the colorful lattice.Īsterism Gems Australia, a company formed in 2015, is working to get approval on a mining lease for the small area from which it is sourced. Rainbow lattice sunstone is unusual in its appearance-showing both aventurescence, caused by small inclusions of a mineral with a highly reflective surface, and the optical phenomenon adularescence-and rare to find. There’s something so striking about geometry and perfect patterns found in nature.įor one small area in northern Australia, these features are presented in the form of “lattice” pattern inclusions in a gemstone that would make any rock hound stop in her or his tracks.
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