Banded Tiger Iron Slab (Large). BTE1

Banded Tiger Iron - Ord Ranges, Cleaverville Formation, Western Australia.

24cm x 22cm. Slab 9mm thick.  1.302 Kilograms.

This slab looks beautiful displayed in an up right position or even used in your home décor to sit candles, plants etc on top of. A wonderful piece of Australia dating back to when our earth was forming. 

Tiger iron is a unique and fascinating type of banded iron formation (BIF) that can only be found in Western Australia. It is renowned for its distinctive layered appearance, which showcases a beautiful combination of minerals, including hematite or magnetite, red jasper, and tiger's eye. These dense sedimentary rocks date back to over 2 billion years old and are a significant source of iron on Earth.

Banded iron formations are composed of relatively thin layers rich in iron, forming geological structures that are hundreds of meters thick. They were created during a time when Earth had little to no oxygen in its atmosphere. Dissolved iron, most likely from underwater volcanoes, reacted with oxygen produced by microscopic organisms called cyanobacteria. This reaction led to the precipitation of iron oxides on the seafloor, resulting in iron and silica-rich banded formations. Over millions of years, these formations were subjected to immense heat and pressure, causing crystallization and distortion of the layers due to Earth's natural movements.

This slab looks beautiful displayed in an up right position or even used in your home décor to sit candles, plants etc on top of. A wonderful piece of Australia dating back to when our earth was forming.