How do I care for my sunstone jewellery?

Gemstones take centuries to emerge from the earth. But some can be ruined with just a few hours of exposure to sunlight, perfume or water. Here’s how to care for your sunstone jewellery.

What is sunstone?

Sunstone is a feldspar crystal, which means it’s in the same family as hematite and goethite. It’s often a beautiful shade of orange, gold, red or brown, with a slightly translucent sheen.

How hard is sunstone?

The hardness of crystals and gemstones is ranked on what’s called a Mohs scale. A high rank on the Mohs scale means a gemstone or crystal is very hard. A low score means it is very soft, and could be damaged by light, scratches or water.

Sunstone ranks between a 6.5 and 7.2 on the Mohs scale of hardness, depending on the rocks that formed it. That means sunstone is hard, and will not probably not be damaged by daily wear or exposure to sunlight.

How do I care for my sunstone jewellery?

With a high Mohs score, sunstone jewellery should be durable. The stone itself is unlikely to scratch or fade in sunlight, and can be gently washed in warm, soapy water.

But you will want to be mindful of the fastings, which are the bits and pieces that make the stones a complete piece of jewellery. Cunningfolk sunstone jewellery is strung on 100% real silk. To preserve the silk, set your sunstone jewellery aside when you shower or go swimming.

Many pieces of sunstone jewellery will also use gold filled, gold plated or gold vermeil clasps. These can tarnish, so try to avoid showering or swimming with your sunstone jewellery on.

Sunstone jewellery from Cunningfolk can be washed in warm, soapy water, then rinsed and hung to dry. Check our blog for incense blends and rituals to recharge the magical properties of your gemstones.