Muscovite (pseudo Cordierite)

15 x 10 x 10 mm overall

A silvery Muscovite pseudomorph to 4 mm in flower-like form is set in contrasting dark, fine-grained metamorphic rock (hornfels). Originally, these started as a trapiche-like spray of Cordierite crystals radiating out from a single crystal of Indialite, both MgFe-aluminosilicate dimorphs, and subsequently replaced by mica. Known as Cerasite, Sakura ishi, or cherry-blossom stone, these rarities are highly prized in Japan, and this locality is the only place they are found.