Staurolite

This staurolite formed during regional metamorphism, where aluminum-rich rocks recrystallized under intense heat and pressure to usually produce the mineral’s characteristic cross-shaped twinning. The Christenson Ranch area in Beaverhead County is known for yielding well-formed staurolite “fairy crosses,” often found weathered out of metamorphic host rocks.

Naturally symbolic and geologically precise, this specimen reflects the deep metamorphic forces that shape Montana’s ancient crust, preserving one of the most recognizable crystal habits in mineralogy.