120g Garnet-Amphibolite Skull – Blue Shimmer & Deep Glow...

Garnet does not form, as one might suppose, from a single quickly-set substance, but grows over millions of years as so-called porphyroblasts: deep in the rock, under enormous pressure and high heat, a crystal seed begins to form at a single point, which then literally draws the surrounding elements – iron, aluminum, manganese – out of the solid rock, atom by atom, until a dense, rounded mass has formed. The result indeed looks as if the darkest wax had dripped over the earthy-black background and solidified exactly where it first touched. The bluish sheen that runs across the entire skull points to the same Norwegian origin region as the garnet itself: since 1884, in Larvik, southern Norway, that shimmering labradorite—well, actually, it’s the lustrous larvikite—has been mined, which under the trade name "Blue Pearl" adorns facades and floors of famous buildings around the world. Its characteristic blue is created by the finest feldspar intergrowths that reflect light in this cool tone. The same geological neighborhood from which the larvikite comes apparently also shapes this garnet–amphibolite with the same optical phenomenon. Material: Garnet-amphibolite – hornblende/actinolite matrix with almandine garnet porphyroblasts Origin: Southern Norway Dimensions: 5.1 x 3.9 x 3.3 cm Weight: 120 g Special features: Continuous bluish, larvikite-like sheen across the entire skull; dense, waxy-looking garnet patches on dark matrix

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