Gogotte "Sandstone Concretion"

Though technically classified as a “sand concretion”, gogottes are of a special group of concretions that are visually and geographically distinct. They are only found within the Parisian basin (sometimes referred to as the “Fountainebleau sands”) and have layered, three dimensional forms as opposed to the spherical, discoid and/or flattened sandstone concretions from of other localities.

The gogottes of the Parisian basin are a distinct class of concretion that are unique in both locality and aesthetics. While all concretions are appreciated for their geological significance, gogottes are unique in that they have gained recognition from art purveyors such as Christie’s, and Sotheby’s because they are considered natural art.

Gogottes are typically white to light gray, but can sometimes be red or brown due to iron oxide staining. Notably, this particular example boasts a uniform coloration throughout, which is extremely rare. Many theories exist as to how these gogottes were formed, though it still remains a bit of a mystery. It is most likely that lithification (formation into a rock) occurred at groundwater level after the last ice age, when the permafrost interacted with warmer, circulating ground water. The change in temperature created an unstable environment for the quartz-based sand, which combined with siliceous water to create a concentrating solution that slowly solidified as it moved underground.

The result is a highly sculptural, natural mineral structure that captures the movement of fluid that took place. This is an excellent example that often gets mistaken for something made by man because of its smooth contours, artistic form, and the fact that there is remarkably no contact point. It truly is a work of natural art.