Category Archives: Rock Hunts

Rock Hunting in the Upper Peninsula

Richard and Andrew Marek had great father and son bonding time on the piles.

We usually travel to Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, in August, where we participate in Art Shows, and do wire wrapping demonstrations at Copper World in Calumet. Because our art shows were cancelled and demos were not possible due to the Virus, we focused on rock hunting in the Upper Peninsula.

The Ranger is the National Park Service boat that serviced Isle Royale National Park. From our campsite, we watched it go out every two days.

We camped and rock hunted to our hearts’ content. While camped, I was able to work on the rocks we found with my mobile shop setup and made jewelry on my work bench.

A classic Candy Striper always make me smile. This one, I purchased from Ryan Pikk at the Quincy Swap Meet. I took the rough Laker back to the RV, and made it into instant jewelry.

This Amethyst Laker called me to make it into jewelry while in the Keweenaw.

Keweenaw Prehnite is absolutely gorgeous.

The Isle Royale Queen IV is not running from Copper Harbor this year. The only way you can get there is by seaplane.The

There are still a few inches to squeeze in more rocks.

The pile here used to be above the trees. I am carefully searching for an elusive Greenstone, with only moderate success.

Bonnie searches a beach at dusk. Is she looking for a fluorescent rock?

Was rock hunting successful? Yes, considering the good areas becoming more scarce. Most of you know that many of the old rock piles have been crushed and hauled away, leaving large flat area and small piles. Where rock piles used to be as high as the trees, they’ve now ground level. You have to work harder to find what used to be relatively easy.

A drill core is a treat to find. Just thinking a trio of miners, 100 years ago , could have drilled this hole.

Bonnie’s goal was to find the worlds’ largest Greenstone, which was not happening, while mine was to survive the rock piles while still recovering from and ankle fusion. I accomplished my goal, and was stronger at the end of our trip. It’s amazing to me that you do not feel much pain when you are actually rock hunting, but it catches up after the hunt is finished for the day.

We hunted close to a dozen locations, with limited success in every locale. We stocked up on rocks and minerals we could use in our grab bags, that we sell 3 for $10 at art shows and elsewhere. Some things everyone loves in their grab bags are, small Greenstones in matrix, shiney Calcite, Prehnite, and small copper pieces.

A Garden Rock of Great Size

Other things Bonnie looks for are new garden rocks. You should have seen us hauling a 70# chunk of mine rock with calcite and Cuprite seams. That one was hard to miss in the pouring rain.

This is the colorful garden rock we hauled off the Central Pile.

I see Prehnite, Calcite, and specks of Copper.

It was quite a trek to the car, and we tried, with limited success to fit this rock into a 5 gallon bucket on our Broll (Bucket Roller). Bonnie steadied the rock, while I pulled the cart to the car. We only dumped it a couple times; each time stopping, and hoisting it back into the stretched bucket. It’s amazing what greed will make a person do.

Hunting with Friends

Our new rockhound buddy Rayanne around the best of the day.

In the great out doors it seemed safe to rock hunt with others. We took some friends from our rock club around to some places for them to hunt. I can testify they too were greedy, filling up the back end of their pickup. We all had great fun, and tested our mettle in the rain.

We found some fine gem grade Prehnite, a few fine Copper Crystals, a limited supply of possible Greenstones, and a couple small Datolites.

The Swap meet at the Quincy Mine produced several Copper Agates, a couple fine Candy Striped Lakers, and much visiting with old friends at an Unsociable Distance.

Lots of these Chlorite-coated balls about. Gotta cut this one and see. It looks promising

The one that looked promising above, turned out to be the best we found.

This is often the case with Greenstones. You see some pattern, but it runs out.

Of course we also made a visit to the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum on the campus of Michigan Tech, to see all the specimens from the area that we drool over. The great colored Datolites (and huge too) are big favorites.

Centennial Datolite is one of the rarest.

All the campgrounds were totally filled, and continue to be, so if you go rock hung in the UP or Keweenaw, get reservations.

Fantastic sunsets. This one from the top of Brockway Mountain.

This year was a more restful visit than usual, but we still missed the Art Shows.

Lake Superior Agate Hunt; My Best one EVER

Slices ready for cabbing

I love Candy stripers

These Lakers were some I picked that day in Wisconsin.

Over the years Bonnie and I have had many rockhounding adventures. Some stand out above the rest. This month I would like to tell you the story of our best Lake Superior Agate Hunt Ever; a hunt both amazing and unexpected.

From the name of the agate, people might expect to find Lake Superior Agates only on the beaches of Lake Superior. However, Lakers (as we fondly call them) are found in a broad streak starting at Lake Superior and spreading to the southwest over several states.

Nothing better than a small stash of slices begging to be cabbed.

We were driving through Wisconsin, enroute to Minnesota, perhaps 20 years ago and noticed just outside Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, a road widening project, very extensive, with lots of land being moved with heavy equipment in preparation for a new four lane road. I mentioned to Bonnie that I thought we were in Lake Superior Agate area, but due to all the heavy equipment moving about, I never had a second thought about it UNTIL we saw a flea market just down the road.

I saw a large sign on one of the tents as we went by that said AGATES, so of course we stopped. I hit it off with the dealer, and he and I bonded over our love for Lake Superior Agates. He mentioned he had a friend that lived nearby and loved to show off his agate collection. He called the elderly gentleman (we surmised he was in his 90s), and subsequently we were invited over to his house to see his agate collection.

Unusual coloration and shadow

A wild guy in a wild Laker

We knew we were in the right location as we drove up the driveway and saw a full-sized petrified wood log among many other large rocks laying in the yard.

Unfortunately it has been so long that I do not remember the old guys name, so we call him George. We were welcomed into his house and noticed he had agates everywhere. Beside the four china cabinets filled with Lake Superior Agates, he had agate tables, agate lamps, agate counters, agate covered boxes, agate slices in the window, agates of all sizes; everything Lake Superior Agate–jaw dropping! George hinted that we had not seen anything, and should go look in his basement. He was in a wheelchair and couldn’t go down with us, but our excitement level was already elevated. The basement was another stony story. The walls were lined with shelves holding large Lakers of every sort, plus various other rocks collected from many locales.

Would you sell any of these? is a question any rock lover would ask when confronted with agates so amazing and abundant. His reply was to the negative. I accepted this, but wondered why George would not want sell a few. He clearly had health issues and none of us are going to live forever!

The final discussion involved hunting Lakers. I just love picking the old rockhounds brain. I ask him if he would go looking in the area for Lakers where would he look. He responded: Sonny, I’d look out in that road construction zone.

Ok Bonnie, I am going agate hunting. We rented a motel room nearby, waited until 5pm, and headed out to the construction area. I recall Bonnie opted to stay at the Motel. I found a safe place to park, briefly wondered if we were doing anything illegal. As the cars whizzed by on the old road, we hunted the newly smoothed landscape. I noticed a pile of gravel filled with rocks; and guess what–many of them were Lake Superior Agates. I filled almost a five gallon bucket and found at least a dozen fist sized or better, over a pound each. I actually felt guilty, and wondered where other rockhounds were; why am I the only person hunting here? The rock hunt took perhaps an hour or two to fill the bucket. I like to imagine what we would have gotten if it had been raining!

I think if old George had been able, he would have been there also. I often wonder what happened to him and his agate collection. I will never forget this amazing hunt. I think I still have some of the Lakers we found that day, but they are all mixed with other Laker Buckets.

Every Rockhound has stories like this. Sometime I will tell you about the deluge rain storm in the Keweenaw when Greenstones were actually flowing in little streams down the banks of a mine waste pile. A story for another day,

Copper Banded Agates

Bonnie has a good hole dug, and is looking for little green nodules that may be Copper Agates.

I’m not too far away in my own hole.

After 20 years of searching the mine spoil piles in the Keweenaw, with great success, I have to admit one of my biggest blunders. I used to dig large holes in the what was left of the C&H pile, near Calumet, with my buddy Bill, looking for Datolites. At that time, if I came across a piece of copper while Datolite digging, I would keep it, but I would also find other Chlorite covered nodules, that we would call copper balls and just heave them out of the hole.

You would never believe whats may be inside these nodules.

Here’s the suprise.

Today these Chlorite covered nodules are coveted by collectors around the world. You guessed it–Many of these nodules we threw away were Copper Banded (Infused) Agates. Nobody knew at that time that these things would end up being valuable gemstones. Later I learned that my friend, the late John Perona and his brother knew about these agates for many years. Today, we also know that these special agates are found nowhere else in the world except in the Kearsarge Lode. The Powebic Lode to the South where the Quincy, Mesnard, and Franklin Mines resided, have not produced Copper Agates. You do not see Copper Agates in the rocks of the Fissure and Stratiform Deposits to the North either; so the Kearsarge Lode of the Calumet Conglomerate is very unique indeed.

Careful cutting is involved with these Copper Agates.

It’s been so many years that I forgot where my hole was, and the area has been tilled up a few times, so all those agates I threw out; who knows where they are. I actually looked for my old hole last time I was in the area. I clearly forgot where it was.

A diligent and alert Rockhound can still find Copper Agates in the Kearsarge Lode if they are willing to put in some work excavating and carefully observing the pieces of spoil rock that might contain nodules that read “hot” with a pinpoint metal detector. I enjoy sitting down and digging, especially in late August, after Black Fly season. It’s even better if it’s raining. These little balls of glory stand out a whole lot better in the rain. the usual scenario is you see a rock of rubble with nodules in it and try to extract them with tools.

How these agates formed is debatable, but the theory that makes the most sense is suggested by the Lynch brothers in their fine book Agates of Lake Superior. You’ll have to read the book to see what they say about Copper Infused Agates. I prefer that term over Copper Replacement Agates, but most of the time I just refer to them as “Copper Agates“.

My last trip involved some very successful Greenstone digging, but no Copper Agate hunting. I only had limited rock hunting time this trip, so I had to chose between Greenstones or Copper Agates.

Copper Agates are rarely really large, but some real sizable. Fully banded beauties, are sometimes found as large as a half dollar. I’m happy to find a dime sized one, but like Greenstones, a big hunker is very welcome, and always elicits a “WHOOP!”.

Here are most of those Cabochons from above turned intoÂ jewelry. All these are for sale at: www.snobappealjewelry.com

I do have miner friends in the area that usually have some Copper Agates for sale, so I always buy a few. I purchase these agates with the question; Can I make these better? If I believe that I can, I will take them home for a re-work before making jewelry. Most often Copper Agates are cut in half and sold as a pair, but often I take a pair and grind the rind off the outside where better banding may appear (or may not). Often, the odd shapes of these nodules do not allow working the outside rind, due to all the gaps and dips in the stones, so these I either work with what the slice has produced or just sell or trade these for specimens. Most Copper Agates are bought as specimens and not so much for jewelry.

The Kearsage Lode also produces small pastel, banded agates that have little of no copper in them, but are very fine; we refer to these as “mine agates”. When found these are also Chlorite covered, just as are the Copper Banded Agates. I take everything and sort them by removing the crust in my home shop.

I work Copper Agates using my soft wheels only with loads of water to keep them cool and, for proper lubrication, an additive is added to the water when cutting. Special grinding techniques are used also. I generally treat these Copper Infused Agates with a coating to make them tarnish resistant, rather than polishing them. The coating I use is one of my trade secrets.

I sell Copper Agate pendants on line, at art shows and within a mile of where I find them, at Copper World, in Calumet. The jewelry I make from these rare agates is spectacular, simply because the Copper Agates are spectacular. It seems as though Copper Banded Agates are becoming very popular as of late. I have a good selection now, and you should remember, the closer to Christmas, the more your choice narrows.

I hope you have sensed my frustration at having tossed out hundreds of Copper Agates. I’ve got to work on my memory, because if I get it back, I’ll be INFUSED with Copper Infused Agates.

Hunting Michigan Greenstones

GREENSTONES GALORE

Thirty years ago things were different in the Keweenaw. Rock hunting sights were plentiful, and hunting was good. Today rock hunting areas are scarce, as mine spoil piles are bought up to be crushed and sold for road fill. Often logging companies purchase the piles to crush and use for logging roads. It seems to me that the Keweenaw has been pilfered of all its soil-based resources, and what is especially disturbing is that the whole area is a national historic park.

I’m setting on the base of what once was a pile of rubble far higher then full grown trees.

Much of the history of the Copper Country revolves around the mining of copper. With the disappearance of the mine waste piles, the history of the area is that much harder to experience and visualize. Most of what is left is privately owned and off limits to rock hounds, except a few times a year when sponsored events are arranged where mine owners are reimbursed for rock hounds hunting their piles.

We travel the Keweenaw every August for art shows at Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor and our retail outlet Copper World in Calumet. (Lake Superior Magazine listed Copper World at the top Michigan gift shop for the sixth year in a row! (It is great to be represented at such a fine store).

At the campground, sorting what to take and what to leave. We really could not tell until we washed the mud off them.

Took these home. I will either cut them out or hammer them out.

What Greenstone look like after being extracting from the mine rock.

Often Greenstone have fallen out of the rocks and can be found just laying on the ground or in the piles.

If you want to hunt Greenstones or other copper-related minerals currently two organized rock hunt opportunities are available, arranged by the Seaman Mineral Museum, and by the Copper Country Rock Club. The groups arrange to have the mine waste piles bulldozed and participants who have paid the fee get to have first look at trying to find a new treasure that has been buried for decades (or eons) and brought to the surface by the bulldozer.Â Â We have participated in many of these hunts over the years. Sometimes they are worthwhile and sometimes they are a disappointment.

Clearly there is Copper in this one.

Rain is the rock hounds friend, rinsing the dirt off the rock that was stirred up in the recent few weeks of organized hunts. This year we were able to go hunting between art shows on a couple of rainy days. We were successful in finding greenstones, datolite, prehnite, and native copper. Often we pick up muddy things that look of interest, and after cleaning may turn out to be wonderful finds. And sometimes a promising rock is disappointing. You often don’t know what you have until you do the lapidary work.

Dopping begins the grinding and polishing process. I use, nails, screws, rivets and glue the stones on to the Dops. Others use dopping wax.

Keweenaw Greenstones are especially tricky, they may have no pattern, or they may break apart. What appears to be a fine Greenstone, as you work it, may in fact be hollow; you have something, than you have nothing. Working Michigan State Gem Greenstones to their maximum potential takes a gentle hand, and lots of patience. When polishing a large stone I get excited if it has a great alligator pattern and a chatoyant surface. The other thing about greenstones is that it dictates how it can be cut. Sometimes the pattern layer is so thin, that you have to know when to stop grinding. YouÂ may or may not be able to eliminate inclusions that distract from a perfect stone. Â Those I give to teachers that teach Earth Sciences. Only experience tells you if you have the stone perfect, or if you can make it better. They are a uniquely difficult gemstone to get right, and in general the highest quality GreenstonesÂ can be pricey.Â Many greenstones must be cut before I get a one that has the qualities expected in a gem. If you have a large stone you want to have polished, be sure to have someone cut it that has experienced in cutting Greenstones. I’ve seen $1000 Greenstones ruined because the person cutting it did not know what they were doing. I liken some Greenstones to Fire Agate; You have to know when to stop, and there is no room for error.

Another truth is that Most Michiganders have never personally seen an Isle Royale Greenstone, and I have been asked things like “is that a Green Petoskey Stone?” or they’ll say things like “I found one of them on Lake Michigan” NOT! One of these , usually small stoned, would never survive the glacial transportation. A picture does not do justice to the lovely, silky, Chatoyancy or Michigan’s State Gemstone. You have to see one in person to appreciate it. They’re like an alligator wearing a shear silky robe.

This is a “Broll”. It’s made my life easier. Do a search if you are interested; it’ll save me answering a bunch of questions. This picture was takenon a Petoskey Stone Hunt.

Bonnie always takes home a couple garden rocks, and our Broll is a handy tool for carrying rocks back to the car. For those who haven’t seen one, you can see and buy a Broll online; we take it on all our rock hunts.

A beautiful Thomsonite flowered Greenstone from the Phoenix Mine.

People look for us at the art shows and bring something that they have found to have a special piece of jewelry made for them. Cutting their rocks and making their jewelry keeps me busy for a while.

Even though gemstone hunting is not what it once was, we still enjoy our trips. The art shows, natural beauty, wonderful sunsets, rock hunts, pasties, Vollwerth’s hot dogs, and monk’s muffins all contribute to a vacation atmosphere while we are doing our work!

Specular Hematite at the Beacon Mine in Champion Michigan

It can be a bit confusing when I say that we picked up some Speccular Hematite at the Champion mine in Champion, Michigan. The old abandoned mine dump in Champion is actually the Beacon Mine. The Champion Mine is a copper mine that is located near Painesdale in the Keweenaw Peninsula. This month I’m strictly speaking about the Iron mine in Champion.

Bonnie is picking up small pieces of Specular Hematite for kids grab bags.

A great place to stop on the way back from rock hunting or participating in Art Shows in the Keweenaw Peninsula is the old Beacon Mine in Champion, Michigan. On a sunny day this place looks like a fairy land. The Iron Mica- rich Specular Hematite (Specularite) exudes a silvery sheen. Driving back to the old piles on a sumny day you notice the two-track road is covered with silvery, shiny dust. When you leave this place your clothes and vehicle will sparkle. I have found, many times, my tire sidewalls still sparking after several days back home. Even it you don’t pick up any Specularite (Yeah right!) you should still go take a look at the stunningly shiny, silvery piles and roads. I know one lady that puts the road sand in small vials and gives them away as “fairy dust”.

Specularite can vary in coloration and makeup.

Google earth and this website will direct you to the mine dump: http://www.mindat.org/loc-3839.html. Turn at the blinker on US-41 in Champion, go up the hill and keep going until you see a little road that looks like a driveway AT/AAJ I think is the street. Anyway look for the “AT” the street starts with. Take that street and it will turn into a mica-covered single track road that goes back to the piles.

The waste piles produce a never-ending supply of rock. Specular Hematite is mostly a garden rock; iron that is slow to rust and adds a little shimmery touch to any garden, especially on a sunny day. This stuff is iron-rich and heavy.

Quartz is a fairly common inclusion at the Beacon Hill Mine. Many minerals have been found associated with the Specular Hematite.

You can cut and make jewelry from Specularite, but this rock makes a black, muddy mess of your saws and equipment. The black mud will get all over you and your shop. Specularite should be coated and stabilized when in jewelry because of its crumbly nature, and its’ habit of shedding Mica. I speak from experience here, when I tell you it is not worth the effort of making jewelry from this material.

You could be lucky to find drill cores at the mine in Champion.

Bring a strong back, especially if you find the perfect specimen a ways from your vehicle. If we have some room in our truck, we always stop at Champion and throw in some ballast. The piles can be unstable, so I recommend steel-toed boots and good leather gloves. Boots have saved my toes a couple times. Don’t blame me for smashed fingers. Also a sturdy shovel or pry bar can help if you go for the big ones. A strong wife or big, dumb, buddy can also be of assistance. “Hey, I’ll bet you can’t carry that piece back to the truck”. This will always get the macho guys motivated. I admit, in my younger days, I fell for this line a few times.

Siderite: An Iron Carbonate

Careful hunting may produce wonderful specimens of Specularite, Magnetite, Tourmaline (Black) in Quartz, Pyrite, Mica, Masonite, and on rare occasions Garnets. I have also found Siderite, and the list of minerals you might find is substantial (on the Mindat website). If you are lucky, you may find Specularite drill cores. I love the Golden Mica and Specularite combinations careful rockhounding might produce.

I see piles of Champion rock being sold in Quartzsite and Tucson for $1.00 a pound (“If you take a hundred pounds”). So you can buy this stuff at the shows or go get some yourself for much less. (I’m not counting your travel costs, that’s up to you!)

Pictures don’t do justice at this mine dump. You have to see the magic with your own eyes, especially if it is a sunny day, when it looks like fairy dust everywhere! Have fun and don’t hurt yourselves. I accept no liability for greed and/or stupidity at this location.

Ribbons of Pink Petoskey Stone

Top shows exterior Pattern. The bottom shows the color change in the next slab.

Top photo shows exterior Pattern. The bottom shows the color change in the next slab.

Snob Appeal Jewelry has written the book on Pink Petoskey Stones (AKA Pink Pets). (See Rocks and Minerals magazine, May/June 2013) Pink Pets are one of our specialties (see Pink Petoskey Stone Jewelry in our catalog).

The last trip to one of my very secret hunting areas produced a bucket of very nice Petoskey Stones, including several coveted Pink Petoskey stones. Many Pink Pets are not quite jewelry grade, but some special ones are suitable for Snob Appeal Jewelry.

Bonnie and I have harvested tons and tons of Petoskey Stones over many years, generally avoiding the often substandard beach stones, popular with tourists. Tourists generally do not know a good Petoskey from a bad one, they are just so excited to find one! I am not critiquing anyone for picking up these Northern Michigan souvenirs, but quality is what we look for, and beach stones can be muddy, have poor patterns and poor coloration. The scarce pink stones are seldom found by the tourists. The reason being they just don’t look for pink. We know most Petoskey Stones are various shades of white, gray, and brown, and that is what the eyes are trained to look for.

Close-up of typical crushed pattern in Petoskey Stones.

Sometimes, among Pink Pets, a really rare one shows up. This happened to me on one of the years’s first hunts. I found a Pink Petoskey Stone with ribbons of pink. Not only did it have pink ribbons, it also had a “crushed” pattern. The “crushed” pattern is indicative of great weight of the overburden literally crushing the normal Petoskey Stone Hexagonal pattern. Sometimes the fossil pattern is flattened and deformed into something almost unrecognizable compared to the original. I have only found a handful of crushed Pink Pets over the years, and have never found one with a clear pattern and ribbons of pink in the stone.

I love the “what is this?” moments I sometimes have hunting stones, and this was one of those moments. I have trained my eye to pick out pink stones, but this was something new.

Wonderful Petoskey Stone Ribbon cabs.

When I hunt, I put very special stones in my pocket. These I refer to as “pocket rocks”. I’ve found most rockhounds do the same as I. I removed my pocket rock when I got home and put it on the saw. You never know how deep any pink coloration runs into a stone, and in this case the answer was not too far. The second and subsequent cuts continued the ribbon pattern, but it changed to bluish except for the pink edges. This darker ribbon will also make wonderful jewelry. The other side of the stone was also a pink ribbon.

Did I like this one? Nope....I LOVED this one.

Iron causes the pink coloration in Petoskey Stones. The coloration in this stone was almost a maroon red, also very unusual. Still, after all the tons of Petoskey Stones I have harvested over many years, I get a big thrill about finding something unusual and surprising. This was sure one of those cases.

Petoskey Stone Hunting-Can It Get Any Better?

Bonnie hunting on the gravel pile they removed from where I hunted down below.

Under normal circumstances I would look out my window and see snow falling on the already snow-covered ground, and wind chills below zero. So what is the deal this year? December 27th; no snow on the ground and a foggy soupy look outside. It is 45 degrees. Let’s see; 45 degrees and fog means wet ground. Wet ground means the Petoskey Stones will turn from invisible to visible. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Bonnie and I packed up the Broll, buckets, and Treasure Scoops threw them in the truck and off we went to one of the private gravel pits we hunt. We are not allowed to hunt when the pit is being worked, but they don’t work the pit in the winter. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Dream hunting for the Petoskey hunters.

Even a blind squirrel could see this nut! I can get a pink one and another one in one scoop!

We know just before winter a pile of gravel was stockpiled for spring, and we know the pit will be wet where the gravel was removed down to near the water line. Petoskey Stone Hunting should be great. I have my waterproof insulated Gortex boots and Carhardt rain gear, just in case it rains. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN! It started raining!

Bonnie forgot her rain gear, but had a fairly waterproof winter coat over two sweatshirts. Yes this IS normal for this woman. I really don’t see much of her as we hunt different areas of the gravel pit. I know that we have many blog followers that have never hunted Petoskey Stones, so I decided to document this trip. Waterproof camera in hand so you can follow along.

I hunted down in a pit where a large amount of gravel was removed to create a giant pile of gravel. Bonnie, the more agile of us enjoys scurrying around on piles, while I enjoy wading, disregarding the cold water seeping through my boots. My goal today is to pick enough to fill a 4 gallon bucket. Bonnie’s goal is to search areas she knows I won’t go. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

betterday5

A perfect white Petoskey Stone.

I started hitting the mother lode immediately. Man those Petoskey’s stand out in the water. All sizes, shapes, and hues were being exhumed. I saw something very unusual. A perfect Petoskey Stone, pure white in color. It was so white, I could almost see a glowing aura surrounding it. I’ve got to get a picture. I think it would be cool to make a piece of jewelry and be able to track the pendant back to its origin. A special Petoskey for the bucket. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Here's a pink one.

I’m finding two, three, five, and more Petoskeys’ within a foot of each other. I can scoop up two or three at a time. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Can I find a big Pink Petoskey Stone? Yes I can; several in fact. Not all big, but very nice. I’m finding Favosites, Horn Coral, Crinoid Stems, and all forms of Devonian Soup. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

A nice big Petoskey.

Can I find a fist-sized Petoskey? Yes, almost immediately after the question forms. I love big, solid, Petoskey Stones. I’m hearing, off in the distance, the soothing sound of stones as they sort of thump and drum as they are thrown into a plastic pail. I know the Petoskey Queen is harvesting a good crop also, up above me. Can it get any better? YES IT CAN!

Why do you need extra weight in the Broll you might ask? Can I take this Garden Rock? Answer: If you want to haul it. What a gem of a woman...

I’m tiring fast. Bonnie is skirting the edges of the puddled area, while I continue to wade. Soon my Broll bucket is filled and Bonnie has half a bucket also. She already took a bunch to the truck, so we are golden. I am wasted, beat up, and my leg is killing me, but it’s amazing what you can overcome when greed sets in. Bonnie took the Broll up the road to meet me at the gate. I took all the other rocks, buckets and scoops and headed out, picking as I went back to the truck. Can it get any better? NOPE! what a day.

Petoskey Stone Christmas

Christmas Day 2014

The new Treasure Scoop is a bit bigger and beefier than the old one.

Rockhounds get really excited when a new rock hunting tool appears under the Christmas Tree. This happily happened to me today when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a new Treasure Scoop. I already own several scoops. The older ones were known as Gem Scoops, but they are the same. The older scoops are 36″ in length, but my new tool is a beefy 42″. I think size really does matter here. These longer scoops are something new.

The new scoops are well made tools from The Fundamental Rockhound. www.myrockhound.com. I have no connection to this company, but I recommend these scoops, and believe every rockhound should own at least one. As you get older and wiser, you try to find easier ways to get those rock treasures. These Treasure Scoops lessen your bending, increase your reach into the water or rock pile, and are a nice walking stick.

Before using any tool, some, but not all, rockhounds will read the directions on any new tool. Let’s examine these directions, especially the warnings:

DO NOT use this tool for any of the following:

Hammer, pick, shovel, or pry bar. I admit to violating these rules occasionally, but I can see why this CYA warning is listed.

DO NOT use in a lightning storm–No lightning in the winter, so we’re good on this.

This tool is NOT to be used by children-Our kids are grown, so we are good to go on this also.

Please use this tool responsibly-OK

Is there anything about NOT using this tool in the snow?-Nope; good to go.

“Hey Bonnie, lets go Petoskey Stone Hunting”. How great is it to have married a woman nearly as crazy as me. Let’s see; snow on the ground, 32 degrees, wind chill 15 degrees. I guess all we need are good coats, hats and gloves. We’re off!

Semi-insane Petoskey Stone Hunting.

Nice Petoskey!

A Petoskey Stone hunt on Christmas. How cool is that? The story continues at one of the gravel pits we hunt. There is indeed snow, but some exposed stones. Lets get some! Difficult to find, but we are rockhounds, and we will prevail. I have my new scoop and as I search I hear that old Kenny Rogers-Dolly Parton song:

“Petoskey’s in the snow

That is where they are are

No snow in between

How can we be wrong

Scoop away with me

To another world

And we rely on each other, ah ha

From one rockhound to another, ah ha”

The Christmas Collection 2014

“Adventure” rockhounding, gotta love it.

Keweenaw Rocks, Minerals, and Copper Country Jewelry

Our trip to Keweenaw was great.

Wire wrapping on the top of Brockway Mountain awaiting the sunset.

Even though we are older, less agile, and spry than we used to be, we had great adventures in the Keweenaw. I hit a mother lode of SISU Agate, and spent a few very hard days banging this agate out of hard rock. I cannot give you the exact location, but it is south of Copper Harbor. Bonnie says that EVERYTHING is south of Copper Harbor. This is fairly true, so this is a nice, vague clue.

The view from Brockway Mountain in just amazing.

The art shows in Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor were very successful; as were our Demonstrations at the finest gift shop anywhere, Copper World in Calumet.

We consumed many Pasties and Vollwerth Hot Dogs, watched the Isle Royale Boat come into Copper Harbor while consuming a gourmet meal at the Harbor Haus. The waiters and waitresses do a can-can on the deck to welcome the boat each evening. In tune with the town theme, the restaurant has a huge double copper door, with warnings not to touch the Copper. It does get really hot it the sun, as you can imagine.

This is the Firebrick Pendant I made up on Brockway. It sold the next day.

We saw many old friends and met many new folks. I know we are getting a big following and a wonderful reputation, when we see women wearing our jewelry wherever we go up there. We were featured in the summer issue of the Copper-UP newspaper that featured Copper World with a color picture of our jewelry covering half the front page.

We found local miners willing to part with Greenstones, Datolite, and Thomsonite for some cash. I hand picked the best for future jewelry.

SISU (Cliff) Agate from my hole.

The only disappointment was we signed up (and paid money for) an organized hunt to the Central spoil pile that did not happen because the County had moved in a crusher and equipment. Another former fantastic greenstone and copper rock hounding location is disappearing to become asphalt, etc. Sad.

The weather was good and the bugs were sparse. Bonnie volunteers to go rock hunting and be bait for the remaining bugs, and they ALWAYS choose her. No further comments on that. She edits this, so I suspect a comment about this will be added. She is the jeweler’s wife, and is expected to suffer for being able to pick from thousands of pieces.

Random Pendants and Earrings of Lake Superior Agate, Datolite, and Firebrick.

I’m typing this as we navigate the Seney Stretch, M-28, a barren wasteland of scrub pine that is the longest straight stretch of Michigan road, flat also. You could go really fast out here except for Moose, Deer, Wolves, Bear and the like that you would be killed if you hit. The State has no bug-killing quota in the Seney Stretch. This is fortunate for all those that cross this area. An RV window can really take out a lot of bugs at once.

The roads are paved in copper in the Keweenaw.

When you look at the random pendant picture, take note of the far right pendant in the middle row.. It is a banded Laker floating in an Amethyst sea. I had four slices off this agate, wrapped them all, and sold four pendants in 5 days on this trip.

One day, while headed to the top of Brockway Mountain, I stopped to check out an outcrop on the side of the road. The roadway to the top of the mountain is in dire need of repair and is crumbling apart, but I noticed a glint in the blacktop. I was not surprised to see copper embedded in the blacktop. I have a friend that actually hunts copper on warm days with a metal detector in the roads. I will not say who this is for his protection from the law.

I have to say something about Firebrick for those that do not know what it is. When the Copper Smelters were build, they were made of brick. Over the years the Copper vapors and molten copper permeated into the brick and replaced everything except the Silica (Quartz) in the brick. When the smelters were torn down the copper bricks were disposed of by dumping them in the water, taking them to landfill, or burying them. Some were removed for landscaping or lapidary uses (bookends, jewelry, paperweights, etc.). I have a 70# piece I have been gradually cutting and making jewelry from it. This is a wonderful, rare, historic material and many purchase it not only for its’ beauty, but for its’ historical story.

We expect a return trip to the Keweenaw in October for colors and to dig more SISU. What a great time we had.

Keweenaw Ledge Agate-AKA SISU Agate

Visiting the Seaman Mineral Museum is always a treat. Their Fluorescent display is shown.

The Keweenaw Peninsula always amazes us. We have had the most wonderful couple weeks. Business has been robust, with loads of lovely ladies sporting our jewelry made from local Copper Country rocks. We pulled into our new campsite at Lake Linden last night, and while I was talking to the campground

The Pink Petoskey Stone and the Favosite I donated to the Seaman Mineral Museum.

host, I told her I sold my jewelry at Copper World. She said “Are you the guy that makes that amazing wire wrapped jewelry”. I admitted that I am and she told me that someone was in the campground who had a new Lake Superior Agate necklace she had bought at Copper World. It is so nice to get complements like “I could not believe that was wire wrapped jewelry, it was so perfect.” How nice is that? Coffee and a complement first thing in the morning–a great way to start the day.

Bon nie chats with some customers at the Eagle Harbot Art Fair.

Bonnie chats with some customers checking out some earrings in a mirror at the Eagle Harbot Art Fair.

I expect since it is a perfect day, I’m just going to relax and make some jewelry in my lawn chair.

This last week we started digging a hole in some hard rock ledges south of Copper Harbor, and we struck the mother lode of Ledge Agates like I have seldom been seen. This is a special type of Lake Superior Agate not as well known as the traditional fortification (or banded) agate. I was finding this agate in seams rather than in nodules, or single rocks.

Here I am "slamming" agates out of a ledge. I call these SISU Agates, because they are so hard to get.

The normal Ledge Agate is a dull brown or pink/white, non-banded, drab agate, but some of these are bright red, some with white Quartz. I have been literally working my meals off in this hole. I have a special “slammer” tool my buddy Chris made for me. I cannot imagine how much harder these would be with a chisel and hammer. I did dig this hole: bend and twist, sweat and ache. I saw color and from a deathlike state I come back to life and kept beating at the rock. The local Finns have a word for going above and beyond your ordinary: SISU. I am definitely in SISU working on this hole-struggling above and beyond. I hereby dub these SISU Agates!

Agates in the hole.

I guess I am in the Agate Greed mode right now, so we will go get more the next couple days.

A whole bucket of SISU Agates.

Finally the Monks at the Jam Pot had a full supply of their famous Muffins and other goodies.