Where In The World Are Moqui Marbles

The navajo sandstone is also well known among rockhounds for its hundreds of thousands of iron oxide concretions.
Where in the world are moqui marbles. They re found all over the world but in the u s you ll see them only in utah and parts of arizona. They tumble from the pale cream colored navajo sandstone beds when wind and water wash away the softer rock. Even if you re not real into rocks the views from the area of grand staircase escalante national monument where moqui marbles can be found are very nice. These stones are found in pairs.
Moqui marbles or mochi stones are mysterious sandstone balls covered in hematite iron ore and were discovered in the navajo sandstone formation in utah. Similar concretions can be found in other parts of the world and on the planet mars but the ones called moqui marbles are specific to the navajo area. It s not entirely clear to geologists just how moqui marbles were formed. Moqui pronounced mo key marbles consist of a sandstone center covered by a shell of hematite an iron ore.
They occur in many places in southern utah either embedded in or gathered loosely into puddles on the ground near outcrops of jurassic age navajo sandstone. For this article i will refer to them as shaman stones in support of their spiritual and energetic nature. Mysterious moqui marbles in zion national park living stones. There is no trail to the marbles themselves but the area offers some other features that make the trek worthwhile.
They are scattered across the desert floors of arizona and utah appearing in masses. Moqui pronounced mo key marbles consist of a sandstone center covered by a shell of hematite an iron. Known variously as shaman stones mochi marbles moqui balls or boji stones they can be found in two places in the western areas of the united states although more commonly at the navajo sandstone formations. Often called moqui marbles acres of the chocolate colored rocks are scattered across utah and arizona.
To get to the area from the town of escalante take hwy 12 4 5 miles east. Moqui marbles are reported to have mystical properties in ancient cultures. Moqui marbles are small brownish black balls composed of iron oxide and sandstone that formed underground when iron minerals precipitated from flowing groundwater. Informally they are called moqui marbles and are believed to represent an extension of hopi native american traditions regarding ancestor worship.
Legends include the marbles. One more rounded formation which is considered the female and has a charge and the disk like formation which has a charge.