Chrysanthemums

These smooth, highly polished semi-precious stones are formed into a sculptural shape to allow the beauty of the stone to be revealed.
Resembling flowers these crystals are made up of celestite, calcite, feldspar or andalusite, while the black base rock is comprised of dolomite, gypsum clay, limestone or porphyry. It was formed from geological changes in the Permian age of the Paleozoic era from high temperatures and the compression of thick layers of organic-rich mud at the bottom of the sea. Other minerals filled into the mix and a small crystal could nucleate at the center, crystals would then grow outwards. These unusual shapes originate in China where the rock has been used for ages for carvings and figures.