RockyBlue
fully equipped rock polisher
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Member since June 2006
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Post by RockyBlue on Sept 15, 2009 22:04:05 GMT -5
This stuff is supposedly over 2 billion yrs. old,What is the scientific name for it,and how did the name Mary Ellen come about? All help is appreciated!............Rocky
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 15, 2009 22:26:37 GMT -5
Rocky: Mary Ellen Jasper is one of the fossil stromatolite jaspers. Stromatolites are stony algae colonies that build up in layers and sometimes form whole reefs preserved in once sedimentary rocks. One of the earliest life forms known. These rocks have then been impregnated with silica and hematite ( in the Mary Ellen Jasper instance) and if you cut them you can see the stacked algal layers as little funnels in one direction and concentric swirls in the other. The iron in the hematite created the red and green colors and about every color in between while the parts that polish out silvery purplish are the layers of purer hematite matrix....Mel
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RockyBlue
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by RockyBlue on Sept 15, 2009 22:33:06 GMT -5
Thanks Mel! I`ve got some slabs i`m going to make some pendants out of it. So it polishes up good?......................Rocky
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 15, 2009 23:58:31 GMT -5
Rocky: I've got one about to final polish now. For me at least, it doesn't polish as well as things like Imperial or Bruneau Jasper and lots of agate but it does finish up pretty shiny with an optical grade polish.....Mel
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NorthShore-Rocks
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Member since December 2008
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Sept 16, 2009 8:36:23 GMT -5
Hi Rocky!
Mary Ellen is one of my local rocks and one of my favorites. I believe the name comes from the Mary Ellen Mine, here in St. Louis county, Minnesota, near Duluth. It comes in an incredible amount of colors and like most rocks, a wide variety of quality. I've got quite a bit rolling right now and I've tumbled some in almost every batch I've done. If it's mostly Jasper and not fractured, it will take an incredible shine. If there's pure Hematite chunks or veins going through, it may undercut or break. It tumbles very well with Lakers.
I found a great hunk of it Saturday and Mel... you are getting the first slab off of it!
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RockyBlue
fully equipped rock polisher
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Member since June 2006
Posts: 1,719
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Post by RockyBlue on Sept 21, 2009 7:20:50 GMT -5
Thanks everybody for the info.What i have has no cracks or veins running thru it,It`s all red..........Rocky
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Sept 21, 2009 9:11:18 GMT -5
It should work up great for ya!
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Sept 25, 2009 12:39:18 GMT -5
We find a lot of it in the sand plants (gravel quarries ) here in Ia., great looking stuff The miner who staked out the Mary Ellen claim named the deposit after his girl friend. :drool: Harley
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Post by sandsman1 on Sept 28, 2009 17:49:26 GMT -5
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