Paesina stone from Morocco
Size-
7cm x 4.9cm x 0.6cm
Weight-
65g
You will receive the item in the photo
Paesina also known as landscape stone or rune marble,is a rare variety of marly limestone. Its picturesque painting like patterns are formed by natural mineral infiltration of iron and magnesium oxides that precipitate into ancient tectonic fractures.
Rock type: sedimentary rock specifically a fine grained clay rich bioclastic wackestone/mudstone or marly limestone.
Formation: created about 40-50 million years ago during the Eocene epoch. Tectonic pressure such as the African and European plates colliding fractured ancient seabed limestone. Petcolating groundwater subsequently pushed iron and manganese solutions into the cracks, leaving behind scenic dendritic ruin and landscape patterns.
Mineral class: The rock is composed of several key minerals across different classes.
Carbonate minerals- primary matrix and veins. (calcite)
Oxide and hydroxide minerals. The pigments: the scenic browns,oranges and black patterns formed by iron oxides e.g hematite or goethite, and manganese oxides.
Silicates:secondary minerals contains microscopic quartz crystals and minor phyllosilicate.
Crystal system:
Calcite-trigonal crystal system
Quartz-hexagonal crystal system
Clay minerals/manganese oxides- monoclinic or triclinic systems.
Hardness is 3-4 on the MOHs scale.