The LoveStones Collection
- Written by J.F. Ruiz
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The rocks that make up my collection are mainly Peridotites, Peridotites with different degrees of serpentinization, Serpentinites and some Magnetites that over the years I have been collecting on my walks along the beaches and in the vicinity of the Rio Real riverbed in Marbella.
Serpentinites from Marbella
- Written by J.F. Ruiz
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With an area of approximately one hundred square kilometres and situated between the municipalities of Marbella, Ojén and Mijas, the peridotite massif of the Sierra de la Alpujata is the second largest ultramafic outcrop in the province of Málaga.
Serpentinites
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The name Serpentinite comes from the Latin word "Serpentinus", which means snake, and is due to the characteristic green color of the rock and the scale-like patterns it sometimes has, which make it look like the skin of a snake.
In some parts of the world the serpentinite is also called "infinite stone", because its veined and almost fractal structures, allow to lose the sight in them and fall into hypnotic landscapes.
Serpentinization Process
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Serpentinization is a metamorphic process by which rocks low in silica, mainly peridotites, are transformed by oxidation into serpentinites.
Among other minor causes, serpentinization occurs when masses of ferromagnetic rock subjected to high pressures from the depths of the Earth's mantle begin to ascend towards the crust by the impulse of tectonic phenomena and collide with masses of water that infiltrate them (as a result of the reduction in density derived from the change in pressure), giving rise to a very significant increase in volume (between 30 and 40 %) and to processes of hydrolysis in which the original structure of the rock changes.
Malaga Outcrop
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With a surface area of approximately 450 square kilometres, the Peridotite outcrop in the province of Malaga (Spain) is probably the largest on our planet and also the one with the greatest mineralogical diversity.
Peridotites
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Peridotites are high-density, coarse-grained igneous rocks, formed mainly by the minerals Olivine and Pyroxene.
The name Peridotite comes from the gem Peridot, which is composed of light green Olivine.
Although they are mostly dark green rocks, peridotites can appear in different shades of yellow, brown, red and even blue, depending on the proportions of the minerals that compose them.