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Post by rockhound on Oct 22, 2011 7:13:33 GMT -5
Does anybody here collect rocks? I started out with a few that I found digging the garden up. Just some I threw aside and after they weathered a while took on a little sparkle, so I'd edge the flower bed with them. Then I started bringing home rocks on purpose that I'd find while walking along the creek after a heavy rain. I got a few with fossils in them too if anyone wants to see pictures.
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Post by Laura on Oct 22, 2011 10:01:56 GMT -5
Does anybody here collect rocks? I started out with a few that I found digging the garden up. Just some I threw aside and after they weathered a while took on a little sparkle, so I'd edge the flower bed with them. Then I started bringing home rocks on purpose that I'd find while walking along the creek after a heavy rain. I got a few with fossils in them too if anyone wants to see pictures. I would like to see pic's. We collect shiny little ones we find on the side of the road when we are walking. |
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Post by rockhound on Oct 24, 2011 5:40:53 GMT -5
I collect those too. Some are called "gizzard stones" because it is believed they were used by early animals and giant birds to grind food in their gizzard, like chickens do today. They are smooth like if they'd been tumbled almost. I like to look for them in a place with natural gravel, after a rain. They stand out when wet. Here is a few pics I took last night. I will add some comments later.  First, that bottle of Jack Daniels in the upper back is a mini, don't go by that for size lol. The middle and right stones are crinoids (I think) anyway I found them while digging around the place and cleaned them off. Left one is half a geode I bought at a local rock and gem show.  This picture has a quarter for size next to what I call my "wild candy corn". It's a jasper/agate combo that reminds me of CC, had to save it from the dry creekbed. To the right of that is a fossil shark's tooth, swapped for something with an internet friend in Florida, they find them scuba diving. Left rear is I believe a granite rock, she won't let me cut it. GF calls it her "tater rock", it's smooth and found in a bag of taters and she's kept it since her kids were small. In front of that is a handaxe I found personally in a creek here in middle TN. Every rock has a story, that's why I get so much enjoyment out of my collection, even tho a few of them I just bought, I can remember the trip and what all we did that day, etc   This third one is a big chunk of druzy quartz, about 4 lbs and a 5-lb piece of natural hematite. The area where I used to live had a lot of scattered iron ore along the ridges in the woods. At one time there was a commercial iron smelter there(1920's) and the farmers would haul the stones in winter to the furnace and sell them. |
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Post by rockhound on Oct 24, 2011 6:18:03 GMT -5
I forgot to mention the big rock on the right of the second picture. I found it also in the bottom of a holler in a place where water runs but only for a couple days after a hard rain. I think it has a tooth shape, like a fossil mammoth tusk would be. They do find mammoth molars here, some are in the state museum. The tip is broken and both ends show concentric layers of different colors of tan, grey, white, etc so I do think it's animal in origin. I moved from there so it's unlikely I'll ever find the rest of the animal, whatever it was.....
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Post by Laura on Oct 24, 2011 19:40:53 GMT -5
Those are pretty nice Rockhound.!! I collect teeny tiny ones. More like pebbles. I collect way too many things the way it is!  |
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Post by rockhound on Oct 25, 2011 6:51:06 GMT -5
Thanks. I have a bunch more I didn't photograph, many are small. Plus over the years I cut and polished and sold a bunch. I had a lot of fun doing all that but now they're "just to look at". I don't expect to be out finding any more rocks unless they turn up in a flower bed, lol.
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Post by ghoststomper on Oct 25, 2011 17:59:46 GMT -5
Nice collection .
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Post by rockhound on Oct 25, 2011 20:08:29 GMT -5
Thanks, ghoststomper. I'm guessing this is your busy time of year?
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Post by colorado on Nov 11, 2011 19:43:29 GMT -5
I have collect rocks too. Some are minerals for a collection. Somerock I have are just rock used in crafts. I don't collect that type . I want oil shale to make jewelry and asked son where I could get some legally. His friend told him where I could find some. It turns really black when worked. I made stuff to sell.
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Post by colorado on Nov 11, 2011 20:18:17 GMT -5
I couldnot get back in to my post to add more so will here. I joined a gem and mineral club years back. Quit going. I was secretary for it for about 7 years. Not driving nights ended that.
Guess the last good rock I found was a nice piece of turquoise. I have saws and little stuff to work rocks. I took couple classes in stone carving and silversmithing from the club. I never did learn to cab. Have tumbers.
I was raised in the city on edge of Denver. Dad got a ranch and I started finding arrow heads and such. I have found grinding rocks both the bowl and the grinding stone. Just small collection. I have never found much in way of fossils so only have a few.
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Post by rockhound on Nov 11, 2011 23:09:40 GMT -5
That's interesting about the oil shale, I never heard that.
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Post by colorado on Nov 12, 2011 20:03:27 GMT -5
Couple years back after we had the antelope processed son drove out to old mining camp that they had dug out all the Gilsonite. We did find a few samples around. Buildings gone and railroad track out. Very interesting. But some groupe had fenced in the cemetary to protect it and we did not go over to that. Saw the big mine tunnel and and where some of the stuff had been. Guess they still have digging over to Bonanza Utah. It is in Utah and they processed it into stuff not far from me. That refinery smelled bad.
We do find dinosaur coprolite (poo) out in the hills. Rock hunting gets harder and harder to find anything.. I am just 80 now. I found a piece of bone in the garden that looked like it had been used for something. I can not swear to that but I saved it.
They are still at trying to make the oil shale work. Some things now that takes lot of water I guess.
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Post by rockhound on Nov 13, 2011 3:34:59 GMT -5
I had a sample of coprolite but traded it off. I bought it at a show here but of course it was from out west somewhere. I have cut and polished a good bit of fossil dino bone for jewelry cabs, pretty stuff. Is Gilsonite the same as tar sand?
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Post by colorado on Nov 14, 2011 0:57:03 GMT -5
Gilsonite is black solid material. No sand about it. is smooth. MIne it . We are not suppose to pick up dino bone. I have couple slabs that came with my saw and stuff. Old and red. Guy had it long before the rules. A odl guy had the saws and stuff and pass on and he wife wanted to sell it. Out of town and I guy I knew was renting from her and he wrote me. I drove way down there and got it. He tossed in the rocks and that were there too. Got a piece of caronite as he worked in the urainium down there. He had house trailer he was using for his rocks and lapidary work. She wanted it cleared out.
I have not seen tar sand but there is stuff going on over some of that. I do not know what tar sand is really.
I processed a bunch of howlite which they now call White Buffalo stone. It sold good. I went to craft shows. Club had a rock auction once a year. Just members. They put a gem and mineral show each year to raise money for a scholarship for a geology students here. Was not much but the they said it really came in good to help them. Dealers from around came in and sold stuff . I did demonstrate a couple years scrimshaw on obsidian. Rub the gold color in. Hardewr to d on agate.
I use to go to Buena Vista to to Federation show and came out. Bought rocks there. They had rock hunts over there too. One nephew and I went out ended up snow, sleeting and rain on us in mid Aug. We were up high. We got out there and down low be fore we stopped to eat. This was a fun deal till the federation took over and charged. Auction there we donated stuff to sell and that paid for the show. Ads and stuff. I got stuff there too. I have too much.
I do walk a mile a day. Doctor said walk. Maybe I can go rock hunting some more.
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Post by rockhound on Nov 14, 2011 4:50:27 GMT -5
Do you have any pictures of your scrimshaw work on obsidian? I would like to see that. I have only ever heard of it done on soft materials like ivory or whale teeth etc.
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