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[Stone Mania]

I'm interested to know whether the distinctive orange inclusion in sodalite is calcite or feldspar.  The stone is being marketed as sunset sodalite.  It's reported to be a new find which is not the case as I've had it as part of my collection for a many years.  I have always been led to believe it was calcite.  Many metaphysical sites are now claiming it's orange feldspar (sunstone).  I'm well aware information gets repeatedly copied and have learnt over the years that what's written about a stone is not always accurate.   

I've also been advised it may come from staining or oxidation which is certainly possible.  I'm aware I can test a stone in HCL acid to see if the inclusion is calcite but as yet have not managed to get hold of any to carry out the test. 

I'm wondering whether anyone may already be familiar with this stone and may be able to share geological factual information about its composition.

Many thanks. 

[lithicbeads]

Muriatic acid is easy to buy as it is used in masonry work.

[peruano]

There is a chance that it is neither feldspar or calcite.  When calcite occurs in Lapis, it is to my eye always grainy. This seems solid.
In the case of feldspar I'd expect to see more tablets or platelike inclusions, and not such a full layering.  But then again we know what stereotypes are good for.  The shortest distance between two data points is a narrow mind. I may be stretching to get that distance. 

[Stone Mania]

I'll try the muriatic acid because hydrochloric acid is not easy to get hold of.  Thanks. 

[Stone Mania]

Hopefully after testing the stone with HCL acid (or similar) I'll be able to eliminate calcite.  Regarding it being feldspar or sunstone as many are reporting, I'm not completely convinced.  It's only the metaphysical sites that are suddenly documenting this but I know a great deal of information published on many of these sites is repeatedly copied.  If the original information is not accurate, you've suddenly got inaccurate information spreading like wildfire. 

Mindat and other mineral forums I read say nothing about this distinctive orange inclusion in sodalite and few even have any photos of it.

[R.U. Sirius]

Perhaps it is dyed?

As for the acid test, if you find a stone where this material is exposed on one side, you could scrape some off on a dry 100-grit diamond lap or wheel (by hand), and collect it on a piece of paper so you can finally transfer the powder into a glass or ceramic dish. In pulverized form, even "cleaning vinegar" (10% acetic acid) should show some effervescence. Much safer than working with hydrochloric acid.

This works with calcite, but barely produces any bubbles with dolomite.

[lithicbeads]

People should consider a mohs scratch test kit.

[kent]

If you use muriatic acid I hope you are aware of how caustic it is and protect your eyes, hands, ect accordingly. We use it in the marine industry to clean hard growth off propellers (barnacles, ect) and it it drips on the asphalt in the yard...there goes the asphalt....

Very unforgiving material.

[AgateLicker]

I have some of this material as well. The pieces I possess are varied in their constituency, having what looks to be Calcite, the mystery salmon, Pyrite, Marcasite, a brownish red mineral and a dusty purple mineral. Some of them are like a soup and some show almost foliation type banding with the lapis in breccia chunks. One piece is typical of the sort in your photo. I will do a fizzy test today with that one and report back.

[AgateLicker]

Definitely bubbly, but not overly so. I just used table vinegar on a small pile sanded from the corner a seam of the salmon was prominent on.

My theory. Since multiple piece show the telltale Schiller flash, maybe it's impure Calcite with an Aluminosilicate creating the flash. Stilbite is my gut reaction guess.

[Eddie P]

This might also be useful   https://www.mindat.org/mesg-521872.html