The Japanese city of Kameoka, located along the western mountains of Kyoto, has an intriguing geological natural wonder. It is a small hexagonal stone made of fine-grained mica called hornfels.
If the stone is broken apart, its inner cross-sections will look like tiny golden-pink flowers. They are called stone cherry flowers, after Japan's most respected flower and one of the country's most recognized symbols.
These flower stones were not always made of mica. They began their existence as a complex matrix of six crystalline deposits and cordierite. This formula led to the creation of such a geological masterpiece of nature.
Cherry stone flowers formed inside the hornfels about 100 million years ago when exposed to intense heat from lava. The flowers are made up of six separate crystals, each with its own shape and structure.
But the formation of colors did not end with the influence of lava. The next step was exposure to hydrothermal fluids. These fluids have changed the chemical composition of minerals, contributing to the art of nature.
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Since the impact of these two metamorphoses is very rare, cherry blossoms are a very rare formation. They can only be found in central Japan.
The stones have undergone a complete replacement of their internal mineral composition during their geological life. They are very fragile on the inside and can be easily shattered with your fingers. To preserve the beauty of these specimens, Japanese locals coat them with a diluted solution of wood glue mixed with water.