Mica / Sericite pseudomorph after Cordierite-Indialite ("Cherry Blossom") (RARE MATRIX piece)

Item Description

A truly impressive and honestly rare MATRIX specimen of the well-known "cherry blossom" pseudomorphs from Kameoka City. There is only one place in the world where these specific pseudomorphs are found. They are incredibly interesting as they feature pseudomorphs of silvery-golden colored Muscovite Mica (variety "Sericite") which have replaced trapiche habit Cordierite-Indialite. Now Cordierite and Indialite are dimorphous which means they have the same chemical composition, but they crystallize at different temperatures. This can be seen in the thin dark lines forming the hexagonal "spokes" of the pseudomorphs, which eventually cooled down and became the lighter colored Cordierite throughout the rest of the pseudomorphs. This hexagonal spoke-like shape is quite similar to the famous "Trapiche" habit most often seen in species like Corundum and Beryl. The shape of these crystals carries the term "sakura ishi" (cherry blossom stones) as they resemble the famous Japanese cherry blossoms. Most of the pseudomorphs you will see measure approximately 5 - 6 mm across, and the vast majority are loose singles. Because of their soft nature, they weather out of the hornfels rock easily, so you almost never see matrix specimen. THIS PIECE however is an exceptionally rare MATRIX example of these Japanese classics and actually hosts MORE THAN ONE very well-formed pseudomorphs with distinct hexagonal lines. The largest pseudomorph measures up to 5 mm across. As I said, matrix specimens are almost impossible to find, so if you're a fan of rarities, oddities or Japanese minerals, you can't pass this up as I have no more to offer, and it could be a long time before another one comes my way. Priced at $400 retail in the inventory. A bit of a historical note: The actual name of this material is a little confusing due to the fact that it was originally described by Kikuchi as "Cerasite" - the name for the trapiche habit of Cordierite. This very possibly and / or coincidentally lead to confusion about the origin of the name Sericite. With that said, these are icons from Japan, nearly impossible to obtain on the market now as collecting has been forbidden in the area according to once to whom I spoke