Original paper
Mineralogy of the chrysanthemum stone
Makovicky, Emil; Karup-Møller, Sven; Li, Jiuling
Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie - Abhandlungen Band 182 Heft 3 (2006), p. 241 - 251
published: Aug 18, 2006
DOI: 10.1127/0077-7757/2006/0048
ArtNo. ESP154018203003, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Detailed investigations of carbonate rosettes in a siliceous matrix of the ornamental 'chrysanthemum stone' from the Permian Chihsia formation of China show that it is a calcite paramorph after a strontium containing carbonate, from which Sr and traces of Ba were released during the phase transformation, forming tiny grains of celestite, strontianite and occasional barite. Rosette petals were to a variable degree coated and replaced by fibrous, length-slow quartz. Contrary to the viewpoints expressed in literature, we interpret the original material as strontium-bearing aragonite and not as completely replaced celestite or strontianite. As a young analogue, Sr-bearing aragonite from Tertiary occurrences at Tazoulait (Morocco) was investigated and analyzed.
Keywords
chrysanthemum stone • aragonite paramorphs • strontium • barium • chihsia formation (china) • tazoulait clays (morocco)