This sunstone’s iridescence lattice pattern evokes a subtle mosaic of colours, thus the name. The interplay of light and colour that they produce is mesmerising. Adularescence is the ethereal light that seems to flow inside the stone, whereas aventurescence is the shimmering effect caused by small, reflecting inclusions. The visual features of adventurescence and adularescence add to the allure of rainbow sunstone. This diamond is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also scientifically significant since it helps geologists better understand the Earth’s past. It explains how this amazing diamond formed under its specific circumstances. ![]() There is considerable geological curiosity in the finding of rainbow lattice sunstone. The complicated geological processes that created this gemstone’s remarkable lattice structure are reflected in the gemstone’s unique look. Sunstone with a beautiful iridescence lattice pattern is formed when crystallographically orientated exsolution crystals within the feldspar crystal create inclusions. Rainbow lattice sunstone is unique among gemstones in that its attractiveness is not based on its chemical makeup but rather on its physical appearance. Because of these characteristics, it is a natural wonder. Spectacular optical phenomena such as aventurescence, adularescence, and the distinctive iridescence lattice pattern set rainbow lattice sunstone apart. What Makes Rainbow Lattice Sunstone Unique The beautiful gem known as rainbow lattice sunstone was formed here because of the unusual geological circumstances. The sunstone comes from the arid plains and rocky outcrops of the Harts Range, which is located to the northeast of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. The distant Mud Tank Zircon Field in the Australian outback is the birthplace of the rainbow lattice sunstone. The unique iridescence lattice pattern of this magnificent gem is the result of a mix of aventurescence, adularescence, and iridescence. Base colors include blue-gray, tan, and a pink color apparently induced by additional fine hematite inclusions.Gem collectors and geologists alike have taken an interest in a fascinating orthoclase feldspar called rainbow lattice sunstone, or simply rainbow lattice. As such, material suitable for cutting is rare and finished stones tend to be small (though some large multicrystalline specimens up to 30 cm in diameter have been recovered). The crystals are brittle, apparently as a result of metamorphic stresses, and tend to cleave during cutting. Local prospector Ryan Underwood first found samples of this material as loose crystal fragments and traced them back to their source rock, a metamorphic biotite gneiss. Chemical analysis of the feldspar was performed using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and the results were consistent with potassium feldspar. ![]() This deposit was first reported by George Frederick Kunz ( Gems and Precious Stones of North America, The Scientific Publishing Co., New York, 1890, p. This new material is reported to be from the Statesville area of North Carolina and contains brown and black exsolution platelets of hematite and ilmenite showing thin-film interference colors along the interface with the host feldspar. The authors recently examined samples of potassium feldspar from a relatively obscure source (see above) that displayed a phenomenon remarkably similar to Australian rainbow lattice sunstone. Because of its array of colors and the crosshatch pattern of exsolution platelets, the material’s trade name is “rainbow lattice sunstone.” ![]() This unique material showcases exsolution platelets of hematite and ilmenite that display thin-film interference colors along the interface between the exsolution product and the feldspar host. Of these, one of the most remarkable is orthoclase from the Hart’s Range area in Australia. ![]() Several varieties of aventurescent feldspar are well known in the gem trade. Photomicrographs by Nathan Renfro fields of view 3.55 mm. Applied Jewelry Professional ™ Online Diplomaīrown and black exsolution platelets of hematite and ilmenite in feldspar (left) show colorful thin-film interference colors in oblique fiber-optic illumination (right).
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