Tumbled chiastolite

Tumbled chiastolite

Sold individually.

Tumbled stones:

Our collection of tumbled stones includes a wide variety of minerals. Each offers a unique range of colours, patterns and textures that reflect the Earth’s mineral diversity.

Tumbled stones are pieces of raw mineral that have been carefully shaped by human hands.

This is a mechanical process during which the raw stones are polished.

The minerals are usually placed in a rotating drum containing water and an abrasive. This process takes around ten days.

As the stones rub against one another, they become polished into pebble-like shapes.

Whether for meditation, interior décor or to expand your mineral collection, you’re sure to find something to suit you in our online shop.

Chiastolite:

The name ‘chiastolite’ derives from the Greek word ‘chiastos’, meaning ‘cross-shaped’, in reference to the natural cruciform pattern visible at the centre of the stone.

Chiastolite was so named because of this distinctive cross-shaped formation, caused by the presence of carbon inclusions in the crystal structure; it is often confused with other varieties of andalusite.

Chiastolite belongs to the silicate group and is a variety of andalusite, an aluminium-rich mineral. Its colour ranges from brown to pale pink, traversed by dark inclusions forming the famous cross-shaped pattern.

Chiastolite crystals form in metamorphic rocks, particularly in schists and slates, under the influence of high temperatures and pressures.

The main deposits of chiastolite are found in Spain, France, Australia, Chile, China and the United States.