Mica / Sericite pseudomorph after Cordierite-Indialite (''Cherry Blossom'')

Item Description

This is a classic and notably hard to find specimen of the famous "Cherry Blossom" pseudomorphs from Kameoka City, Japan. These unique specimens features replacements of silvery-golden Muscovite Mica (variety "Sericite") after trapiche habit Cordierite-Indialite. The two species (Cordierite and Indialite) are dimorphous, and Indialite forms at higher temperatures, which is why we see the hexagonal dark lines of the pseudomorphs (Indialite), which eventually cooled down and became the lighter colored Cordierite in between. The form creates a very beautiful pattern, not unlike trapiche Corundum or Beryl with a radial hexagonal shape, sometimes referred to as a "sakura ishi" (cherry blossom stones). This name has a bit of a confusing history, because it was originally described by Kikuchi as "Cerasite" which was the name for the trapiche habit of Cordierite, and perhaps coincidentally lead to confusion about the origin of the name for Sericite. The majority of these specimens measure about 5 - 6 mm across, and weather typically out of hornfels, so they're rarely seen on matrix. As far as I know there is only one locality for this material in the world, and pieces with sharp defined form like this are few and far between. Don't miss out on this one as the locality is off limits for collecting, and no more will be found.