Japanese Star Sand
Japanese Star Sand
- Ethically Sourced
- Secure payments
- Small Business/Artisan Made
- Packed With Recycled Materials
- In stock, ready to ship
- Inventory on the way
This “sand” isn’t sand at all—it’s actually made up of tiny, star-shaped fossils.
Each grain is the fossilized exoskeleton of a sea creature from the Foraminifera group. These amoeba-like organisms have been around for about 542 million years, with over 50,000 known species.
While the remains of Foraminifera can be found on many beaches, only a handful of beaches worldwide are made almost entirely of this star-shaped “sand.” This particular sample comes from Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, Japan.
Foraminifera also serve as important index fossils, meaning they help scientists accurately date rock formations, especially from the Permian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Cenozoic periods.
We recommend checking out these fascinating fossils under a magnifier or microscope to see all their tiny details up close.
This Okinawan star sand is beautifully displayed in a round acrylic case. Most of the sand in each case consists of fossilized exoskeletons, though you might spot a few small shells mixed in.
