Coral

Not sure if this fits in this thread because the material is not fossilized, but will share because of rarity. I acquired it in an estate sale along with an excellent provenance. Sold it a few years ago. Hawaiian black coral.

This variety of coral was collected over it's range from Tampa, Fl. to Valdosta, Ga. on a 2 month long trip.
Some of the colors were enhanced by heat treatment. In some cases forest fires will heat the ground and simulate heat treatment. The colors are affected by ground chemicals; in dry sand it is typically gray. In wet soils and clays it picks up colors. If found in permanent springs or drainages the colors increase. And those found in salt water have another range of colors. The chemicals appear to have leached in from the outer layer.

Clays washed down from the granitic Appalachian Mountains affect the coral in south Georgia and very north section of Florida. Most is kaolin clay. Lot's of irons. Florida clays are called gumbos and they may be created from eroded limestone. It can take a long pry bar to remove a say 10 pound coral head from most clays. Easier to pick the loose ones up !

These were chipped out of larger corals for tumbling.

Very interesting relation between colors and surrounding minerals. This looks like a long tumble process with some beautiful colors at the end.

fernwood victor1941 hummingbirdstones

This particular coral is all very similar other that it's chemicals and metal salts it silicified in/at.
It is all extremely hard and tough material, mechanical properties totally similar.
All came from the same massive reef at the same time period.
The main variable is the soils adjacent to it during it's formation and long term existence.
There are obvious changes in it over periods of 1000 to about 10,000 years seen by the man made artifacts chipped from it. If the coral artifact came to rest in black organic muck it turns blue or black. If in red clay it may turn yellow lavender or orange. So there are short term color changes too, and is actually difficult to say if the colors came from absorption or if they entered during formation. No one was around to prove these questions.

There should be blue/black in this batch fernwood.
Tumbling will reveal some better detail of colors and patterns. Unfortunately the polyp structures were not better preserved.
To tumble shape this stuff it has to roll a long time. It is as if it is Mohs 8. It makes durable points and is dead sharp.
I sold my Florida base camp and quit pursuing new pastel and opaque colors and patterns. This was a shame because there is another plethora of patterns and colors down there. Plus the river levels of recent have stayed high due to increased hurricane size and durations prevented access. A fun volume in my life. Thanks.

Holy cow! What a variety! So awesome.

James maybe I've missed it, but have you ever put UV light on these beauties to see if they are fluorescent? We are seeing some interesting fluorescent coprolites and wood on a couple other threads and I thought maybe coral would too.

Thanks Randy. Let the tumbler do all the finish work. You must use a Vibra-lap on you coprolites.