Polished Slab With Chiastolite Star Formation - Spain

This is a piece of chiastolite andalusite from Spain. It has been cut flat on one side and polished to a matte finish that compliments the natural coloring quite well. The chiastolite has been left in its matrix and gives a nice contrast to the silver tones of the mineral.

This is chiastolite, a variety of andalusite that often features a distinctive cross-shaped association of chiastolite and graphite. How exactly it forms is debated, but it is widely accepted that the shape is a result of impurities at the corners of the rapidly forming andalusite crystals.

These cross-shaped specimens have been collected for hundreds of years. Chiastolite was distributed throughout Europe in the 1600s by pilgrims as an amulet or souvenir upon their return from Santiago de Compostela, Spain. These specimens would have come from Asturias, Spain, a site that produces an abundance of chiastolite.

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