gcls_WFP_702

PSEUDOMORPH FROM RUTHERFORD COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA

"From the appearance of this rock it is possible to read its life history fairly well.

Quartz crystals grow in this six sided shape. But this rock is not crystalline in character, therefore, we know this rock is not the one that orginally made this six sided house, but the original tenant has been dissolved out and this rock has filled in the cavity. For that reason it is called a pseudomorph.

Once, when the earth was hot and cooling very slowly, there was a pool or a pocket of molten silica. Its atoms arranged themselves in their characteristic way and as they cooled they formed a six sided crystal of (probably) clear white quartz.

It became imbedded in surrounding rock.

Then in some way the quartz was dissolved and ran out leaving this six sided hole in the surrounding rock.

This hole became filled with broken fragments of other quartz with a mixture of beryl (the aquamarine colored stone is the beryl) and enough of a solution of silica to cement it into a solid mass.

Still later the stone was broken in two by some terrific force, and again the silica solution came to its aid and cemented the break together. This break may be seen at the place where the straight faces of this rock change direction.

This stone was found in a mica pit in Rutherford County, North Carolina."