megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on Jul 4, 2015 18:33:49 GMT -5
My son-in-law's brother found an interesting area that contains lots of sea-shell type fossils (clams), and this stuff, which we originally thought was pet wood. After working a little of it, I'm thinking it's actually stromatolite...maybe. One little chunk shows a little bluish chalcedony, but not enough to do anything with. It doesn't really have a wood-grain pattern, the pattern is much less regular than that, sort of random-swirly, reminiscent of Damascus steel. And it smells like gunpowder when you work it. The location is western Wyoming. I don't believe this material has a real bright future in the lapidary world, you understand, but it is kind of interesting. It doesn't take a very good polish, and seems to not be of consistent hardness. Anyway, what do y'all think this stuff is? farm1.staticflickr.com/255/19418996475_eb8ae3226b_b.jpgfarm1.staticflickr.com/343/19231412560_04897d64a7_b.jpgfarm1.staticflickr.com/504/19231413300_fe9668c920_b.jpgfarm1.staticflickr.com/471/19232394208_dab5160dc7_b.jpg
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 4, 2015 18:55:04 GMT -5
The first one looks like wood. Here is an example of stromatolite:
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,104
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Post by Thunder69 on Jul 4, 2015 21:49:14 GMT -5
First two are pet wood..the next two look like black jade...John
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megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on Jul 5, 2015 10:27:02 GMT -5
Vegasjames: Stromatolite comes in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Kambaba jasper is stromatolite, for one example.
John: They are all the same material. The black cabochon was cut from the second piece of "pet wood". The black piece with the chalcedony showing was just ground and tumbled from a smaller piece of the same material.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Jul 5, 2015 12:25:52 GMT -5
first two definitely petwood I think the last two are also petwood, but are tumbled. A lot of the Eden Valley wood looks just like that stuff
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,104
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Post by Thunder69 on Jul 5, 2015 15:24:09 GMT -5
Interesting ... so it is all petwood...it looked like oneof the pieces has the peeling that jade can get....John
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 5, 2015 16:00:19 GMT -5
Yes,all are petwood,as said last two were tumbled..............
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megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on Jul 5, 2015 22:01:13 GMT -5
Great! Thanks for your valued opinions! We will call it petrified wood!
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