Madagascan Septarian 'Dragon Stone' Standing Display Freeform - 137mm, 683g

Locality - Mahajanga, Madagascar
Size – 137 x 77 x 42mm
Weight – 683g

This large septarian standing freeform features gorgeous 'dragon scale' patterns with sandy brown limestone patches, dramatic, chocolate brown aragonite 'cracks' and lemon yellow calcite 'rivers'. It has been expertly polished to a high shine and artistically shaped with a smooth, rounded form, making for a unique natural decor piece.

The septarian stone, also called 'septereye' and 'septaria', is named after the Latin word 'septum', meaning 'partition', and refers to the cracks and separations characteristic of the rock, and not for the Latin name for 'seven' as widely believed. Septarian stones are a form of sedimentary geode formed on ancient sea floors during the Cretaceous period 50-70 million years ago. Though their formation is not completely understood, it is widely believed that it started when sea life killed by volcanic eruptions became trapped in sediment forming mud balls that dried and cracked when the ocean receded. As the ocean returned, decomposing shell life carried calcite into the cracks which crystallized. The yellow colour is caused by calcite, the brown lines by aragonite, the grey rock from limestone and the white or clear areas by barite.

Septarian stones are also known as 'Dragon Stones' due to an old Malagasy legend claiming the stones to be the fossilized remains of dragons, the cracked patterns resembling their scales.