dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Sept 10, 2013 17:55:06 GMT -5
Hi all - I need some help with an ID on a stone that was given to me by my wifes great uncle after a trip to the Michigan UP. He found it (and a couple of other cool stones} walking on a beach along Lake Superior. It appears to reasemble a geode or thunderegg. I looked it up online and the closest thing I can find is a Lake Superior Thunderegg. The only problem is that these are pretty rare and usually about pea sized. The one I have is about fist sized. It is also very heavy for its size. I only have a workforce type saw and I dont think I will be able to get a good cut to see whats inside. From the online pics I have seen, some of these types of stones are very colorful and have very good patterns. Here are a couple of pics - any id help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking! Dave
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Sept 10, 2013 18:52:55 GMT -5
Probably is a Thunderegg.I found a site that says,divers use to find nice sized eggs on the bottom of Lake Superior... Either way I would hire out in getting that beauty cut,than you will know for sure! Thumbs up
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 10, 2013 19:08:15 GMT -5
I know the story does not support it, but your pic looks like a classic Los Choyas nodule out of Mexico ( mexican Coconut) T-eggs often have ribs but Los Choyas do not. Give them a Google and see what ya think. If you cut it, I can tell for sure as not much else looks like them..Mel
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 10, 2013 21:11:41 GMT -5
I think I have some Lake Superior thunder eggs. I was on a very remote beach almost at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. I've never seen these on any other beaches, but they were plentiful on the beach on was at. They're much bigger than pea size, but generally less than an inch in diameter. Here's a description of thunder eggs from Superior describing them as pea size: Thunder EggsI just ran downstairs and took a pretty bad picture of the one I cut:
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 10, 2013 21:44:34 GMT -5
I will throw it out there as I am curious as hell as to what is inside it..... If you draw a line around it where you want it cut, ship it to me I will cut it and send it back... no charge... to satisfy my curiosity more than anything else.... but I am in FL. and would be a med flat rate to ship to here.. I'll pay the shipping back to you.
again, if your interested.
To me it looks like a lot of the whole agates I have seen... I have some Brazilians with similar rind on them to the one you posted.
if your interested... let me know!
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Sept 10, 2013 23:27:03 GMT -5
Fossilman - we must have looked at the same page. I read the very same thing about the divers finding them.
Mel- at first I thought the same about the mexican coconuts. I have a few at home for comparrison. This is similar to them except it is very rough and sharp - almost like a silicafied limestone dark grey coating on the outside. There are three or four definite pockets on the outside also that show a whiter quartz like makeup on the inside, but there does not seem to be much color showing. I might have to take up Dad Ohs offer to cut it and then I can post some more pics.
Jugglerguy- I saw a picture similar to yours with the reddish outer and quartz inner. This one has a dark grey rough cortex on the outside. The inside appears much like yours though from what I can see in the exposed pockets - not much color. This one is about the diameter of a pop can, maybe a little bit larger. Just going to have to cut it I guess and see for sure.
Dad Ohs - I just might take you up on the offer of cutting it for me. I too am curious as to whats inside, especially after seeing some pics online of what it might be. I will PM you and go from there when I get a chance tomorrow. Thanks for the offer!
Thanks everyone for the comments!
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rockhound97058
freely admits to licking rocks
Thundereggs - Oregons Official State Rock!
Member since January 2006
Posts: 760
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Post by rockhound97058 on Sept 11, 2013 0:23:38 GMT -5
I'm with Mel on this one - At first glance it does look like a Mexican coconut. The exterior of the stone looks too "rough" or natural to have been found along a lakeside gravel bar. As a Thunderegg specialists it doesn't appear to be a Thunderegg in my opinion, then again a saw cut would show more :-) Good score regardless!
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Sept 16, 2013 21:55:00 GMT -5
Well, as it turns out, it appears that this is a Mexican Coconut. I talked to my wifes great uncle and he had brought me the wrong stones. He still has the ones from Michigan at home. This one he got from a cousin who does a lot of hunting out west and had brought it back for his collection and gave it to our uncle. He is bringing me the ones from Michigan next week and told me that these were for sure gathered at the Keweenaw Peninsula, so I am still hopeful that they might be Superior Thundereggs. Sorry for the confusion!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 17, 2013 5:41:03 GMT -5
Don't forget to post pictures here. I'd like to see them.
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Post by 1dave on Nov 24, 2013 13:07:51 GMT -5
I think I have some Lake Superior thunder eggs. I was on a very remote beach almost at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. I've never seen these on any other beaches, but they were plentiful on the beach on was at. They're much bigger than pea size, but generally less than an inch in diameter. Here's a description of thunder eggs from Superior describing them as pea size: Thunder EggsI just ran downstairs and took a pretty bad picture of the one I cut: The stone nearest the 4 on the ruler is definitely a thunderegg. The expansion fracture seams tell all. The rest are probably broken pieces of thundereggs. Our Utah Dugway thundereggs have mostly eroded from the rhyolite they formed in and were wave washed some distance by old Lake Bonneville. Often other spheroids attached to the surface of the large ones, making the "suture" lines hard to see.
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