sedimentary
Moqui Marble (Shaman Stone)
Ironstone Concretion (Iron oxide Fe2O3 and FeO(OH))
Hardness: 5-5.5; Color: Dark brown to reddish-brown; Luster: Dull, earthy to sub-metallic; Crystal structure: Amorphous/microcrystalline coating; Specific Gravity: 3.5-4.5
- Hardness
- 5-5
- Color
- Dark brown to reddish-brown
- Luster
- Dull, earthy to sub-metallic
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Physical properties
Hardness: 5-5.5; Color: Dark brown to reddish-brown; Luster: Dull, earthy to sub-metallic; Crystal structure: Amorphous/microcrystalline coating; Specific Gravity: 3.5-4.5
Formation & geological history
Formed during the Jurassic period (approx. 180 million years ago) within layers of Navajo Sandstone through the precipitation of iron minerals from groundwater, typically around a nucleus such as a grain of sand.
Uses & applications
Primarily used in metaphysical practices as 'Shaman Stones' or 'Moqui Marbles,' and as geological curiosities for collectors.
Geological facts
The name 'Moqui' comes from the Hopi tribe's former name. Legend says spirits of ancestors play with these marbles at night and leave them as signs for the living. Collecting them from federal land in Utah is currently illegal.
Field identification & locations
Identified by their round, pill-like, or spherical shape and distinct dark iron-rich crust over a lighter sandstone core. Commonly found in the American Southwest, specifically Utah and Arizona.
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