Japanese Star Sand
Japanese Star Sand
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- Acrylic Container
- Research Card
This “sand” is actually not sand at all. Rather than rock fragments, it is made of tiny, star-shaped fossils.
Each piece is a fossilized exoskeleton of a sea creature from the Foraminifera group. These amoeba-like organisms have existed for about 542 million years, and over 50,000 species are known.
Their innumerable remains can be found on some beaches, but only a few beaches in the world are made of star sand. This particular sample is from Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, Japan.
Foraminifera are useful as index fossils, which means they can be used to date rock formations reliably. They are particularly helpful for the Permian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Cenozoic time periods.
We recommend examining these fossils under a magnifier or microscope for a closer look.
Okinawan star sand displayed in a round acrylic case.
The majority of sand contained in each case is an exoskeleton, however, you can expect to find occasional shells mixed in.
Be sure to check them out under magnification.
Container Dimensions: 1.75" x .25"
Matter Item #008
Matter Item #008
Shop collections containing this item:
Cenozoic Collectible Specimens Dinosaurs Fossils Matter Items Natural History Collectibles Oceanography Once-Living Paleontology Prehistoric Fossils Storewide Wholesale Fossils Wholesale Products
Customer Reviews
Awesome to order from this business. They never fail to supply interesting items along with clear info.
Very nice sample. My husband lived in Japan as a child and really appreciated this.
Just as pictured and came with a great display card with description. Got one for myself and one for a friend. Very happy.
Best Japanese star sand purchase! Authentic and such a great quantity for the price
Cool little 🌟 stars. Thank you.
Love it! Item as described, fast shipping, and arrived as scheduled. Thank you!