I'm really looking forward to introducing my Pseudomorph series. A pseudmorph is a crystal structure in which the original mineral that formed the crystal has been replaced with another mineral. This process can be compared to fossilization or petrification.
I thought it would be interesting to create a pseudomorph in which silver was cast into a mold made from a crystal specimen, thereby creating a false copy of the original shape.
The Glendonite Double Pseudomorph is a silver casting of a Glendonite specimen.
Glendonite forms as a result of the recrystallization or replacement of the original precursor mineral (Ikaite) with another mineral (Calcite). This process is known as pseudomorhing. Ikaite incorporates water molecules while crystallizing, and can only form in very cold temperatures. When the matrix encasing the ikaite crystals warms, as a result of ground movement or climate change, the Ikaite crystals collapse back into an aqueous solution, which then over time re-crystallizes as Calcite, filling the void left by the collapsed Ikaite and reproducing its form pseudomorphically.
Can it then be considered a Double Pseudomorph if the Calcite is replaced by the Silver through a specific set of circumstances brought about by myself? Interesting question. Regardless of the answer, I love the way the gemmy crystal structures reproduce in Silver.
