Where to find oregon opal

Geology Page. Home Latest News Video. Debris Flow Dynamics. Sampling Hot Molten Lava. Incredible moment Anak Krakatau erupts, Oct Download Google Earth For Free. Remote Sensing Downloader. Thunder Egg. Mineral Researches Top Posts. Share on Facebook. Exceptional and very rare Oregon opals with precious color play. Recommended For You Rare earth element. Clues from soured milk reveal how gold veins form.

The Oregon sunstone is well-regarded as some of the highest quality feldspar found not just in America, but all over the world. Oregon sunstones form in relatively larger crystals and contain numerous hues—those with higher copper content appear darker, redder and more concentrated.

The higher value Oregon sunstones exhibit multicolor properties, with color and color depth changing when observed from various angles. Central Oregon is set apart by the sheer quality of sunstones it produces.

In areas where the lava has weathered away and the sunstones are clearly visible, some gem hunters have described the sight as a glittering sea of crushed glass. Sunstones also produce bright copper-colored flashes when they reflect light at certain angles, hence their name.

Two of the productive sunstone deposits in Oregon can be found in Harney County, while the third is situated in Lake County. This area has both public and private mining claims, with the public area marked by orange posts. If you forget your trusty rock hammer. Apart from the state gemstone, the Oregon desert also produces beautiful varieties of opal, a stone formed by silica deposits in rhyolite, basalt or sandstone.

Gem-grade opals display play-of-color or iridescence, appearing to change color when viewed from different angles. The remaining geodes contain agate, quartz crystals or common opal. Opal Butte is not the only opal mining area in Oregon. It appears that there are no other fee-dig opal mines in Oregon. See also:. Where to Find Gold in the United States. Share to:. Oregon opal with visual effect of being underwater when held to light.

Oregon, USA.