FIELD What you’ll findOregon sunstone
DifficultyEasy–Moderate · surface & dig
Best seasonLate spring–fall
Access & lawBLM free public area
In the high desert near Plush, the BLM maintains a free public collecting area where anyone can dig gem sunstone — clear, yellow, pink, red and rare copper-schiller stones — and keep them within personal-use limits.
How to collect
Sunstone weathers out of the basalt and sits loose in the soil. Many visitors surface-hunt the open ground (best with low sun raking across the desert floor), while others dig and screen the decomposed material. A shovel, screen and a keen eye for flash are all you need.
What you’ll find
The stones
- Water-clear sunstone
- Yellow, champagne, pink & salmon
- Red & green (rarer)
- Copper schiller (shimmer) — the prize
Access & the law
- BLM free public collecting area — personal-use quantities.
- Nearby private mines (fee dig) offer richer ground and red/schiller material.
- Remote & hot — carry water, fuel and a spare tire.
Field tip. Surface-hunt in early morning or late afternoon — low-angle light makes sunstone flash against the dull desert floor.
Plan your trip
Pair this with the wider Oregon rockhounding guide, and read collecting ethics & the law before you go.
Want cut Oregon sunstone?
Sponsored — partner shop · Minerals KingdomSourcesBLM Oregon (Lakeview District — sunstone public area) · USGS · Mindat.
Written by The Field & Stone Editors. Informational only — verify BLM rules and access before collecting. Published by KEVALEX Group.