Zebra Stone

Item Description

This beautiful material is well known in Australia, but perhaps not as well in the western world. The Australian gems have a characteristic brownish-red and beige banding, and although they are not truly black and white in color, they typically resemble the stripes on a zebra. These stones are a mixture of most likely Hematite (brownish-red), and "Argilite" clay minerals, such as Kaolinite (beige). These stones formed in the late Precambrian (670 myo), and the theory is that it formed in a solution which allowed the iron to coalesce together and actually separate from the solution once it became overly concentrated. As the fluid moved, the iron would again concentrate itself in small patches and detach from the solution. Essentially, these stones are compressed clays which have iron rich areas. The reddish-brown areas are still "Argilite", they simply have more iron than the beige areas. These gems are truly beautiful, and their durability along with unique patterns make them very desirable for jewelers and stone collectors. This particular stone has an "Freeform Cabochon" cut. Enjoy!