Product Description
Also known as the Optical Calcite, Icelandic Spar, or Alderney Crystal. Viking Sunstones may have magical optical qualities capable of double polarization even when the sun is obscured by fog or clouds. This allows points of the compass and degrees of heading to be calculated quite accurately. Viking legend states that by holding the stone to the sky it reveals the position of the sun and by rotating it slowly, an effect called birefringence can be observed. This splits light beams in such a way that the direction of their source can - with practice - be determined with a high degree of accuracy.
The Sunstone pairs great with our "Secrets of the Viking Navigators" book!