Monthly Archives: December 2012

Petoskey Stones-Hunting in December?

Do we go Christmas Shopping or rock hunting? What a stupid question!!

Seldom does Northern Michigan weather allow rock hunting in December. Under normal circumstances we would be under at least a foot of snow by mid-December.
Unusual temperatures above 50 as well as misty conditions came together to allow for one amazing Petoskey Stone Hunt.

Where's the Petoskey Stone?

I no longer hunt Petoskey Stones on the beach for several reasons. The main reason right now is that the water level is way low and the rocks are covered in moss and slime. You cannot even identify a Petoskey Stone under this mess. The second reason; as experience has taught me that the more perfect, mud-free Petoskey Stones, can only be found in the on shore gravels. I hunt a few private gravel pits for the best stones.

Just a bunch of plain sandy rocks?

Today we found the stones damp from the mist, and washed out of the gravel by the melted snow cover. Bonnie was happy today with her finds. She sometimes is discouraged as she has trouble finding Petoskey Stones if the weather dries up. Today was moist, but not drowning us. Treasures were found by both of us.

Fist sized Petoskey Stones seemed more common than usual. We found some nice little bead stones and several of the most coveted Pink Petoskey Stones. I picked up an assortment of glacially tumbled rocks to consider for jewelry later.

After they're sorted and washed, they look a LOT better.

I sorted the stones by “Grade A”, “Pinks”, and what I call “Weirdos”. These include all the other fossils, jaspers, agates, and strange stuff that the glaciers brought for me to find.

The "Nice Ones" pile.

Today I found Petrified Wood, Pudding Stones, Agates, and assorted “Heinz Stones” (These are stones that are all mixed up and contain a lot of stuff). I usually identify some of the materials within these Heinz Stones, but some of these stones are really stunners.

The "Weirdos" pile.

My Favorite, the rare "Pink Petoskey Stone" pile. Three to five of these is a good day indeed!

We have actually hunted Petoskey Stones on New Years Day several years ago, but rock hunting, especially a great hunt, seldom happens in December.

Lapidary Safety (Know the hazards of what you are cutting)

One of my recent Facebook Posts about Fordite generated some questions about the safety of handling and/or cutting potentially hazardous Rocks and Minerals. Old Fordite contains lead.

This Fordite looks like candy, but don't eat it.

We here in Michigan have been known to “lick” our rocks (don’t say you haven’t done this also). In NW lower Michigan the Calcite Fossils, Quartz’s, and Igneous glacial till is fairly docile and the pattern is much more prominent when moist.

While hunting in Utah with local expert rockhounds, we were told, “Do not lick the rocks here like you do in Michigan”. It was explained that many western rocks contain Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Mercury (Hg), and other things you should not put into your body. A great article I found through a Google is at: http://wildaboutrocks.com/Articles-Show-Reports/Toxic-Minerals

Azurite/Malachite makes beautiful jewelry, but is one of the gemstones we should be cautious cutting.

Those that collect rocks and minerals are exposed to hazardous specimens all the time. Mercury-containing minerals like Cinnabar or Realgar are two that come to mine, but other minerals that we lapidary-types come in contact with are generally fairly docile, but release hazardous materials when cut.

Fordite is paint layers that formed in paint booths from overspray. Much was laid down in the 60’s +/- and contained lead. Years ago we were not as aware of exposure to this mineral, but today we know, and are cognizant of the hazards of exposure to certain minerals.

Malachite, wonderful stuff but contains copper.

In general ANY Mineral that contains the aforementioned Minerals, as well as others can be potentially harmful. Michigan Minerals from the Copper Country are of particular concern. Any copper related mineral like Chrysocolla, Cuprite, or in particular Mohawkite should be cut with caution. Mohawkite is a Silver-Copper-Arsenate found in the mine waste piles in the central Keweenaw. I wait until my saws are ready to be cleaned out before slicing Mohawkite, then dispose of the saw oil in a safe manner.

Whenever I cut one of the minerals containing a hazardous mineral I always use loads of water, mask, and rubber gloves. Malachite is one stone that really concerned me is that many people just cut without any protection. If a tart, metallic taste is detected, or if you can taste any rock dust, be concerned and take action. Every time I see all the cut Malachite in Tucson I think of how many poor, unaware Africans are being poisoned making this stuff.

Mohawkite is a Silver/Copper/Arsenate. After I cut my cabs, I seal them in Industrial Epoxy. I do this so they do not tarnish, but it also seals in anything that may be hazardous.

Most of the hazardous gemstones can safely be worn in jewelry with little or no concern.

The bottom line is; ALWAYS be aware of what you are cutting. Try not to inhale the spray generated in cutting (even Quartz-Silica dust should not be induced into you lungs). Be safe in your shop. The internet is a great place to check on the hazards of rocks and minerals. Check the chemical makeup of the rocks you are working with. If the rock contains any of the minerals I’ve mentioned earlier, be wary.

Tiffany Stone (Betrandite). I named the pendant "X marks the spot".

I haven’t even mentioned the radioactive minerals. In general, we do not use those minerals in jewelry making.( wait; my wife mentioned Tiffany Stone) Tiffany Stone is an Opalite material from Utah that contains the radioactive mineral Beryllium. The percentage of Beryllium in Tiffany Stone is so small it is considered not to be of a concern.

I am going to also post this up for my Facebook friends. This short blog is only a start for this discussion. Feel free to add your comments and suggestions. I know I left things out. I’ve only had one cup of coffee so far.

Pink Petoskey Stones-Rare and Luscious

We live in Northwestern lower Michigan, the Petoskey Stone capital. Although Petoskey Stones are found in other places, the finest ones come from our area. The state stone of Michigan (the greenstone or chlorastrolite is the state gem), the Petoskey stone is found around Petoskey of course, but also on beaches, gravel pits, and gravel roads across the state.

On the stone piles, Petoskey stones blend in with the other gray rocks common around here. Whenever it rains you can find us donning our raingear and heading out. Rain makes the wonderful eye-like pattern of the Hexagonaria Fossil just POP! We also sometimes find other Devonian Fossils including Favosites, Horn Coral, Chain Coral, Crinoids.

A majority of Pink Petoskey Stones have some distortion caused by the Iron Oxide inclusions.

The rare Pink Petoskey Stone is one thing we especially covet. We do not find many of these beauties, but when we do, we save them for jewelry or for collector pieces. Research has shown that the pink coloration happened during the calcification when small amounts of iron permeated the Calcite. It really does not take much Iron to tinge Calcite with a Pink coloration.

The pendant on the left in a darker Petoskey Stone and the iron tinged the stone almost mahogany. The stone on the right is lighter and just has a "hint" of pink.

The pendant on the left is a darker Petoskey Stone and the iron tinged the stone almost mahogany. The stone on the right is lighter and just has a "hint" of pink.

My favorite thing to do with Pink Petoskey Stones is to make pendants. Light colored Petoskey Stones generally have light pink coloration, while dark Petoskey Stones produce wonderful maroon colors.

One of the specialties of Snob Appeal Jewelry is Pink Petoskey Stone. When I find a stone, I can only guess how deep the pink color saturates into the stone. Many times the pink hue is only skin deep. I find that often the Iron Oxide has distorted the Petoskey Fossil, making a less then satisfactory gemstone. If I find a pink Petoskey actually is gem grade, it is a special moment knowing that this will make some great jewelry.

I’ve talked a lot about my love for the Pink Petoskey stone, but I still make pendants from the other Petoskey Stones I collect, as long as they have a vivid pattern. Unfortunately, often a Petoskey Stone may be porous, making it impossible to polish to a suitable jewelry finish. Other times the Petoskey Stone may be “muddy” (pattern has mud visible in the mouth of the fossil). I do not use these muddy fossils in my jewelry.

I find Petoskey stones throughout our home area, but I realize just how uncommon these fossils are throughout the world. Our Petoskey earrings, bracelets, and necklaces are most popular with people who have visited or lived in Michigan, searched the beaches and remember those times fondly.