Texada Island Flowerstone pictured above:
The Texada Island Flowerstone is a Karmutsen formation volcanic star porphyry about 185 million years old. The “flowers” or Chinese-writing-like crystals are feldspar that cooled slowly in the basaltic matrix. The basalt contains magnetite (iron) making it magnetic and pyrite, often with inclusions of epidote crystals. It is a favorite lapidary stone for those who live on the Wrangellian terrane.
When orangey-pink flowers are found, it is plagioclase feldspar. Bluish-green flowers indicate presence of chlorite and yellowish-green indicate epidote. The phenocrysts form just before reaching the surface.
Because of its hardness it is considered semi-precious being used in jewelry as well as sculpture and decorative tiling.
Although flowerstone may be found in other areas such as the huge lava flows of the BC interior and on Vancouver Island, collectors prize Texada flowerstone for its well-formed crystals and colouring, the best being the very black matrix. The only other place where this kind of flowerstone occurs is in Hakaido, Japan (according to the Grant Keyes geology report), but I find this statement suspect. It has been reported to occur on top of Mt. Hood in Oregon where the tail end of the Wrangellia terrane appears. Vancouver Island flower rock often sports huge flowers with more needle like clusters and a greener matrix.
For those who enjoy the metaphysical properties of minerals, Texada flowerstone is said to: defeat negativity and cynicism, provide money increase, creativity and abundance, enhance attention to detail and focused reasoning, give balance and right action i.e. the noblesse oblige, and the concept of “the flower within the self” - joyful growth, as well as being healing and protective. Most of all it has a great grounding energy when used as a spray essence when one has had emotional upsets, bringing back a neutral state - it really works!
The Texada Island Flowerstone is a Karmutsen formation volcanic star porphyry about 185 million years old. The “flowers” or Chinese-writing-like crystals are feldspar that cooled slowly in the basaltic matrix. The basalt contains magnetite (iron) making it magnetic and pyrite, often with inclusions of epidote crystals. It is a favorite lapidary stone for those who live on the Wrangellian terrane.
When orangey-pink flowers are found, it is plagioclase feldspar. Bluish-green flowers indicate presence of chlorite and yellowish-green indicate epidote. The phenocrysts form just before reaching the surface.
Because of its hardness it is considered semi-precious being used in jewelry as well as sculpture and decorative tiling.
Although flowerstone may be found in other areas such as the huge lava flows of the BC interior and on Vancouver Island, collectors prize Texada flowerstone for its well-formed crystals and colouring, the best being the very black matrix. The only other place where this kind of flowerstone occurs is in Hakaido, Japan (according to the Grant Keyes geology report), but I find this statement suspect. It has been reported to occur on top of Mt. Hood in Oregon where the tail end of the Wrangellia terrane appears. Vancouver Island flower rock often sports huge flowers with more needle like clusters and a greener matrix.
For those who enjoy the metaphysical properties of minerals, Texada flowerstone is said to: defeat negativity and cynicism, provide money increase, creativity and abundance, enhance attention to detail and focused reasoning, give balance and right action i.e. the noblesse oblige, and the concept of “the flower within the self” - joyful growth, as well as being healing and protective. Most of all it has a great grounding energy when used as a spray essence when one has had emotional upsets, bringing back a neutral state - it really works!
