Septarian Geode Carved Buffalo- 6"

This Septarian bison is expertly hand carved from a stunning septarian geode and measures about 6".  Brown and Gold, perfect for any CU fan out there. Cut And polished to show Geode Crystals.

Septarian nodules were created as a result of volcanic eruptions over 50 million years ago.  Sediment formed around sea life creating mud balls that over time crack and develop calcite crystals which turn into aragonite.  The balls would generally crack in seven directions thus the name septarian for the Latin word for seven, Septem.  Septarian is thought to be a healing stone for overall health and well being.

Septarian or septarian nodules are concretions containing angular cavities or cracks, called "septaria" which have become filled with calcite and aragonite. A concretion is a hard, compact mass of rock that often forms around decaying organic matter. In the case of septarian nodules the concretions formed around decaying sea-life in a marine environment.

The exact mechanism for how the cracks form in the concretions is a mystery. One possible mechanism is the dehydration of the clay-rich core of a concretion causing it to shrink and crack. Another is the cracks being due to the expansion of gases produced by the decay of organic matter within a concretion. Earthquakes have also been suggested as yet another mechanism.

The cracks in the concretions are then filled in with minerals such as calcite (yellow) and aragonite (brown) and sometimes pyrite causing the very interesting patterns, which have often been described as dragon's skin. They are frequently found as geodes with hollow, calcite crystal filled cavities. More rarely the fossils that originally started the formation of the concretion are still preserved in the septarian.

This item is part of our “handmade with love” collection and is handcrafted by an individual with a developmental disability that has a meaningful employment opportunity as a result of your purchase.

Each piece is similar, though no item at Crystal Joys is exactly the same as every item is a unique stone that is non-fabricated. Slight variations in color, size, and shape may exist. Every item at Crystal Joys is true "one of a kind". Contact us if you would like to see the specific stone prior to purchase and we would be happy to send you a picture prior to shipment. Slight variations in color, size, and bead shape exist.