Opal (Dendrite) Tumble Stone

Dendrite Tumble Stone

It is the stone of plenitude, helps create a peaceful environment, and encourages the enjoyment of each moment. Dendrite deepens your connection to the earth and can bring stability in times of strife or confusion.

Dendrite is a superficial deposit of manganese oxide that has crystallized in a multi-branching tree-like pattern. This pattern is what fools us into thinking they are plant fossils. Dendrite forms as water rich in manganese and iron flows along tiny cracks between layers of limestone and other rock types.  Dendrite may also consist of iron oxides and other minerals.

Dendrite looks like fossilized plant matter, but they are mineral formations, not plant fossils. The word Dendrite comes from the Greek word dendron, which means tree, and describes the branched projections of a nerve cell.