Category Archives: Special Stones

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.

A Perfect Petoskey Stone Fossil

The entire specimen about 3″X6″

Notice the Detail?

Do you really know what a Hexagonaria Coral looked like when it was alive during the Devonian Age? Neither do I. You can get an idea by looking online at artist’s rendering based on what corals look like today.

The Petoskey Stones we find in our area of NW Lower Michigan are lovely; whites, grays of various shades, and sometimes a little pink, yellow, or blue mixed in. These are calcified fossils and polish to an attractive shine that enhances the coloration and pattern.

Underside

Many years ago I purchased a collection of rocks and minerals that contained one very remarkable Hexagonaria. I just put it aside and forgot I had it for about 20 years. My wife Bonnie sometimes dares to comes down to the shop and TRIES to as she says “neaten up”. She rediscovered this fossil with others back in the recesses of my storage area.

Hexagon shaped chambers with polyps’ peaking out

Close-up of Polyps. Notice the chamber wall striations.

I was amazed at the detail of the fossil. I simply cleaned the dust and cobwebs off with some Dawn soap and a toothbrush. I ground off the rough bottom so it sets straight. Imagine my surprise when my hard diamond wheels were sparking and I found that the fossil was not the normal Calcite, but very hard Quartz. Because this Petoskey was a Silica replacement fossil it remained undamaged and perfectly petrified for these millions of years. I have to suspect that this fossil was early Devonian. I have no idea where this specimen was found, but I was happy it was re-found in my barn and I could show it to you.

First off, my fossil has a yellow tinge. All the individual Polyps show high resolution and even perfect mouths. The living part of the Hexagonaria was called a polyp, and the dark spot we see in the center of the Hexagon shaped chamber was the polyp’s mouth. The animal had tenticles like most modern corals, that grabbed plankton as it drifted by then fed this food into its’ mouth.

See the tentacles?

The resolution is so good in this fossil that you can actually see some tenticles and perfect striations on the walls of the individual chambers.

I am knowledgeable about Petoskey Stones, but I am by far not a leading expert. I base my text on what I know from collecting devonian Fossils for 40 years.

Can you make jewelry from Keweenaw Prehnite?

Botrioidal Keweenaw Prehnite rough

A thin Patricianite seam. Yes, that copper sheet is embedded in it.

Patricianite Rough (Non-seam material)

Here’s a little trivia you may not know about the mineral Prehnite: The first modern mineral to be named for a person was…..PREHNITE. Abraham Gottlob Werner of the Freiberg Mining Academy, was a popular teacher, but is also credited for delaying the advance of Geology by insisting upon wrong concepts on the origin of rocks and minerals. He WAS successful in classifying minerals. Werner named the mineral Prehnite after Col. von Prehn after von Prehn brought the mineral to Europe from the Cape of Good Hope (1783), where he found it.

I love rock trivia. I found this knowledge in a 45 year old book I have. Let’s take a look at some of the variations of Keweenaw Prehnite. Where possible I will show the cabochon before it became jewelry.

This Patricianite sports loads of Copper. I think it would look good as jewelry.

Why, yes indeed it did look good as jewelry.

Prehnite is a Copper Associate Mineral in Copper Country. Much of the Prehnite contains copper dust that changes green Prehnite to pink Prehnite. Other inclusions in Prehnite also produce a plethora of colors. Zeolites sometimes mix with Prehnite (A calcium Aluminum Silicate) in the Keweenaw and produce feathery eyes and patterns. Copper and Chlorite included Prehnite is sometimes referred to as “Patricianite” by copper country locals.

Pastel Patricianite with small Copper Inclusions. This was a massive chunk before slabbing.

Another one that made great jewelry.

Pastel Prehnites roll up on the beaches all along the west side of the Keweenaw Peninsula. While looking for agates, beachcombers may see a bright pink stone shimmering among other dull stones. Pick it up, it might be a coppery beauty. These nuggets can have pink and green together, sometimes even purple tones. I have found Prehnite in piles of materials cleared from road construction not far from Calumet. Prehnites are also gleaned from rock spoil piles at some mines. I have a secret hole that I also occasionally excavate for Prehnites. The best Prehnite has always been associated with Austraiia, but gemmy pastel green Keweenaw Prehnite with Copper inclusions, in my opinion, gives the Aussie stuff a run for the money.

Prehnite with Copper. This is the high quality stuff often found in slim seams.

Prehnite with very little Copper. This is the high quality stuff often found in slim seams.

Prehnite is sometimes referred to as U.P. Thomsonite because its’ appearance often mimics Thomsonite, with eyes, radiating sprays, and variegated inclusions. Some Prehnite is difficult to tell from Thomsonite, or other Zeolites, and for many years Prehnite was thought to be a Zeolite. It was determined by Analysis by Michigan Tech geologists that Prehnite is not related to the Zeolites, but can be associated with Zeolites. Prehnite is a Calcium Alumosilicate. More confusing is when Zeoiles mix with Prehnite and make the Prehnite look exactly like Thomsonite. Thomsonte is almost an exclusive American Gemstone (more trivia for you guys), Prehnite is much more scattered and can be found in numerous locales around the world.

Loads of Copper in this Prehnite. Mine seam material.

Loads of Copper runs through this Prehnite, a mine seam material.

A beautiful oddball dug from a hole somewhere in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Prehnite, assorted Zeolite and other stuff. A beautiful mix, don’t you think?

The Apple Green Prehnite from the Keweenaw can be found as small round Crystals, but in most cases as slim veins in the Amydaloidal basalt. I have found much of the Prehnite in my collection in veins that are less that one inch. The Prehnite seems to form within a void from the outside in, meeting in the middle of the void. After extracting the Prenite bearing host basalt, I usually split the Prehnite where it meets in the middle. I can then use both sides to make beautify cabochons and jewelry. I like when the Prehnite sometimes does not completely close off in the middle of the seam, leaving a void where Prehnite Crystals form in a drusy. Remember it is often possible to find copper within the U.P. Prehnite. Copper can be found included in most every Keweenaw mineral.

The Seaman Mineral Museum, in Houghton, Michigan, has some wonderful, large Prehnite crystals found by miners over the years. Knowing that a Mine Captain or Superintendant or other mine management person was a mineral collector, the miners could score some points by turning these specimens over to them. Some of the finest specimens at the Seaman Museum were from these historic collections donated to the museum by heirs or willed by the owners of the collections.. Two of the most prolific collectors were J.T. Reeder, who clerked at several different mines, and L.L. Hubbard who discovered the Champion Mine and served as general manager of the mine. It is interesting to read and learn about these early collectors. Hubbard willed some of his collection to the University of Michigan, and recently the U of M has given many Copper Country specimens, from historic collections, to the Seaman Museum.

Many rockhounds overlook Prehnite or Patricianite while rock collecting in the Keweenaw. it’s one of my favorites and I never miss a chance to pick up nice pieces. So what do you think? Does Prehnite/Patricianite make good jewelry? You are invited to visit my jewelry pages to see the variety created from Keweenaw Treasures, especially Prehnite .

Datolite, Copper and Quartz Pendant

I’ve decided to write some mini-blogs to keep you up on activities at Snob Appeal Jewelry. I will be keeping you up to date about waht takes place in my shop, on my workbench, and in Bonnie’s Bead Room.

Last week I cut a beautiful Cabochon from a piece of Datolite I bought from a friend in the Keweenaw earlier in August. I don’t usually use White Datolite as there are many more colors of Datolite that are far more coveted. White is common and was found in most all the Copper Mines in the Keweenaw. It is impossible to determine what mine White Datolite came from. Most colored Datolite can be identified with what mine it may have come from.

White Datolite generally has very little “character”, but sometimes, as in the case of this piece, it has character to the max. Copper always adds character to Datolite no matter what color. White Datolite with Copper inclusions and Quartz is especially fine.

I cut this piece into a large bold teardrop shape (30 X 40 mm). Since the Datolite is so showy, the wrap needed to be simple and elegant. I love using Pink Gold whenever I have loads of native copper in a stone. Pink gold’s coloration matches Copper well, but you do not have the Oxidation with Pink Gold like you do with Copper. I combined Pink Gold and Argentiun Sterling for this piece.

Whenever you wrap a calibrated Cabochon, you have to be as identical on the right and left side as possible. Any variation from side to side are readily noticed, and this is why many wire wrappers avoid calibrated cabochons. This pendant could be worn by a man or woman.

I hope you enjoy these small blogs.

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.

Agate Expo

Dnosaur Bone Trio-soon to be jewelry.

Many of you know that we are invited to be jewelry vendors at the Agate Expo in Cedarburg, Wisconsin next month. If you haven’t made plans to be there, you might want to!

Just the list of exhibits alone is astonishing, with 111 exhibitors listed. You will certainly see agates and jaspers you have never before heard of or imagined. A symposium will be held on July 7 with 12 agate experts speaking about their research. July 8-10 the show floor and exhibits will be open. You can see great agates, and that’s where you elect your favorite Snob Appeal Jewelry! On July 9 a banquet will feature Brad Cross as a speaker, plus a Live Auction and dance. Brad has “written the book” about Mexican Agates.

Lake Superior Agate with floating agate.

Madagascar Ammonite looks like falling leaves.

An unusual Laker

A coveted black & Red Kentucky Agate

This is the third International Agate Show we have participated in. In 2008 the Wonderful World of Agates was held in Wisconsin. (It was before I started blogging, if you can believe that, so the link will send you to David Von Bargen’s entertaining report on the event. He barely mentions agate jewelry though. Some Agate Lovers hate that anyone would cut and wear these treasures.) You can see some of our pictures from the Celebration of Agates in our Snob Blog July 2012.

If you love agates like we do, this show should be a must see trip. All the leading experts on agates from around the world will be speaking at the show, signing their books, and making themselves available for any questions you might have.

A Laguna Agate Pendant and Earring Set

Here are some of the jewelry pieces we intend to display and sell at the show. We are known for our fine agate Jewelry which earned us a spot as vendors. Our specialty is Lake Superior Agate jewelry but we also create jewelry made from rare and beautiful agates from around the world. We, or course will have our Michigan Greenstones with us, but most of our jewelry will be top notch agate pendants from many different agates. Visit us and count how many different kinds you recognize!

Boulder Opal

A fine Kentucky Agate pendant

Quartz crystal in a Quartz (Lodelite)

The Shades and Patterns of Greenstone (Chlorastrolite)

Every one of these are made from Island Stones.

Greenstone (Chlorastrolite) is the State Gem of Michigan. They are only found in the Keweenaw Peninsula and on Isle Royale (harvesting Greenstones in Isle Royale National Park is prohibited), with a few rolling up on North Shore beaches. These are known facts about Greenstone; but did you know that Greenstones can be many shades of green and contain many types of inclusions?

I thought, in this month’s blog, it might be fun to show you some of the uncounted associated minerals that can be found with Greenstone. I am mostly covering the more common inclusions, but I’ll show you some uncommon inclusions also. The Greenstones were all in my possession at one time, and are from my photo collection after years of Greenstone picking and collecting.

When I write about Greenstones colors, patterns, and inclusions I am speaking of an “average” stone. If I write something in my blog on the subject of Greenstones, someone may comment to the effect that what I wrote is not always the case. “Not always the case” is one of the laws of Greenstone, as well as many Rocks and minerals of Lake Superior.

Greenstone with Silver

Greenstone with Copper. Notice very little pattern to this dark Chlorastrolite.

Rough Greenstone; Some included and some not.

Included with Thomsonite, Calcite, Copper, Datolite

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, there’s something different. Lake Superior Agates, Datolite, Prehnite, Thomsonite, and many other minerals from this area are famous for their surprises.

Greenstones from Isle Royale, in general (remember) are a lighter shade of green than those found in the Keweenaw. Isle Royale Greenstones most likely will be solidly patterned all the way through the stones, and require less skill than cutting a Keweenaw Greenstone that may have the chatoyant alligator pattern in a very thin layer, which is easily cut through. Cutting Keweenaw Greenstone is, many times, more like “erasing” the bad spots, rather than actually grinding. These Keweenaw stones may contain annoying little black dots that definitely do not enhance a Greenstone. I seldom see these dark inclusions in Isle Royale Stones. I have never been clear whether these spots are Chlorite or actually Chlorastrolite. There are other unwanted flaws that can occur in Greenstone; some I deal with, others, forget it. Only experience in Greenstone cutting can help you determine what you can deal with, and what you can’t. I could write a whole book on cutting Greenstones. Only by cutting thousands of these little buggers can you develop some expertise. You must, unfortunately, learn by your mistakes. Making mistakes was a lot easier to take years ago, when Greenstones were easier to find and far less expensive that they are today. I can never answer the question “How do you cut a Greenestone?”. The answer always boils down to the particular Greenstone you are cutting.

Island Greenstones in matrix.

Tumbling these Greenstones from Islae Royale allows weeding. Notice the Thomsonite Inclusions on may little Greenstones.

OK, I got off track there a little bit. The point I wanted to make is not only are there good inclusions in Greenstone, but there are bad ones also.

Now lets look at some of the inclusions that really enhance a Greenstone. Coming from the Copper Country, an inclusion you might expect in Greenstone is Copper. Chlorastrolite filled the small voids in the amydaloidal basalt, as does most of the minerals found in the copper country. Rarely found together, the Copper and Greenstone are so beautiful together. On a rare occasion we may even find a Greenstone with Silver in it.

Greenstone floating in Calcite with Included Copper.

Some Greenstone is almost white.

Datolite is another Copper Associated mineral that often in found in Greenstone, plain white Datolite is common, but other Datolite colors, especially pink, are also seen. Pink Datolite is always caused by micro-Copper in Datolite.

Greenstone with a heart of Thomsonite.

Greenstone in Thomsonite’s ugly cousin Natrolite.

Thomsonite, my favorite Zeolite, is found in Greenstone. You can tell Thomsonite from Datolite by it’s silky, chatoyant, look. Datolite will be more porcelinious without a silky shine. Thomsonite in Greenstone can be pink or white.

A whole garden of flowery Thomsonite.

Chlorite specks mean the Greenstone needs more work to remove them.

Copper and Silver specks in this one.

Could this be Chlorastrolite replacement of Calcite? It sure looks like it to me. The pink is Prehnite.

Greenstone containing Calcite Crystals.

Calcite is probably the most common inclusion, or you might say Greenstone is included in Calcite most of the time we see it together. When I see Greenstone in more clear Calcite, it seems to float as islands on top of the calcite. I love the three-dimensional look that is seen in Greenstone in Calcite. Commonly when Chlorastrolite is seen in Calcite, the Greenstone looks like dark, black-green lilypads instead of the more classic alligator-like pattern common to the gem. I like the lilypad look myself, but the stones do not fetch the price of a patterned Greenstone.

I have seen tiny Calcite crystals floating within the Greenstone also. It’s very nice when that happens, but most buyers of my Greenstone jewelry do not understand the rarity of this phenomenon.

$Greenstone with Cuprite is so rare it baffled the experts at the Seaman Mineral Museum\.$

Greenstone with Cuprite is so rare it baffled the experts at the Seaman Mineral Museum\.

On one occasion, I found bright red Cuprite on Greenstone. I never should have sold that one, as I’ve never seen another like it. It amazed the Director of the Seaman Mineral Museum.

Lastly I want to address the coloration and patterns of Greenstone. Greenstones can range from almost white to olive green to dark forest green. Sometimes Greenstones are so dark you’d swear they were black.

A dark Greenstone from the Central Mine. Notice the larger alligator pattern.

A dark alligator from the Central Mine.

The patterns in Greenstones vary from large alligator to tiny alligator, to dark islands, to hardly any pattern at all. I’ve seen tiny donut circles, to shimmery flower-like chatoyant circles, to just a hint of pattern. When we find an obvious Greenstone without pattern we refer to it as a “Greenstone wanna-be”. Every round pebble on a spoil pole is green, so we pick them all up, perhaps tumble them overnight in 220, and look at the batch in the morning. The Greenstones will survive, but the Chlorite balls will not.

A big. bold Greenstone with Pink prehnite from Isle Royale in the 1940’s.

A Boytrioidal Greenstone from Isle Royale. Notice the unusual green coloration.

A beautiful Island stone in mysterious green.

I’ve been cutting and polishing Greenstones for many years, and have enjoyed the differing colors and patterns in Greenstones; not all Greenstones are equal. My hope is by informing you of these details, you can come to appreciate one of the rarest gemstones on Earth. Greenstones continue to amaze and surprise me, but unfortunately the sources are diminishing.

This would be a very nice Greenstone except it contains unwanted inclusions of Chlorite. After a bit more work, this one became a real beauty.

A simple wire wrap is sometimes best.

Back in mining days, the miners never had a clue that their discarded rubble contained the lovely gem material that today is being crushed and hauled away for road fill. It’s exponentially harder today to find a nice Greenstone in the Keweenaw than it was a decade ago.

I loved this Datolite and Greenstone Pendant.

Explore our wide selection of Greenstone Cabochons, Greenstone Pendants and Greenstone Earrings as well as other jewelry from Keweenaw Minerals.

Superior Amethyst

Amethyst Garden

I’ve been holding close this little story from the Tucson Shows until I had the time to make jewelry from one special cabochon I found in the recesses of the show. I spend every day searching the crevices of the shows for the unusual, rare, and remarkable, and I saw something at DiWolf’s booth that I had to have. Diana and Wolfgang Wolf really had some great Cabochons.

Amethyst; Yes, I know Amethyst at the Tucson Shows is as common as chicken at KFC. No matter where you are, just look around and there it is. In this case my eyes were focused on one of the most beautiful Amethyst Cabochons I’ve seen this year. It was like a garden of crystals growing proudly in one stone. Something about the color and composition made me salivate.

Wolfgang was a very knowledgeable and obviously a skilled Lapidary artist. This particular cabochon was masterfully cut from one special rock he said he found in Superior. When he told me he found it in Superior, I was not surprised. I’ve seen some great Lake Superior Amethyst from Thunder Bay. Even the Keweenaw has Amethyst that sometimes rolls up on the shoreline, and my diver friends say there are some wonderful pockets off shore. He said he wished he had found more, and actually searched for more, but failed to find any,

I bought the cabochon, and already pictured it as a finished pendant for one special Amethyst lover. Here’s the kicker. It sat in my RV patiently awaiting its’ turn to be jewelry, this wonderful piece of Superior Amethyst. I often have dreams of a particular stone, and this was the case with this stone. I got up at 3am one morning (hey, you do this when you are retired), put the coffee on, and began working on this pendant.

Imagine my surprise when I unwrapped this lovely cabochon from its envelope, examined it closely, and noticed a sticker on the back of the gemstone, that said: ” Amethyst, Gila County, Superior, ARIZONA“! I had to laugh out loud. He was talking about Superior Amethyst from Arizona, and I was taking about Lake Superior Amethyst. I am not distressed in the least about this location change, but it’s comical sometimes, based on where you are from, and where you hunt rocks, how you perceive something as the truth, and not even be on the same close!

I told Bonnie when she awoke at the smell of fresh coffee. She got a good chuckle about this also. There is no laughing about the beauty of this piece of jewelry. It came out better than I dreamed it might.

I know also that most of my friends would have assumed the same thing I did. I got a laugh, made a nice piece of jewelry, and had fun telling you this story; a story about things not quite evolving as they are initially expected.

I’m sure you will agree that it matters not whether this Amethyst is from the Big Lake or some other locale called Superior. It is still a very stunning finished pendant, Garden of Amethyst Crystals.

Tucson Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase-The Main Event Part 2

87 and sunny

The display cases boggle the mind at the Main Show, as do the Dealers.

Today I continue with the story, in photos, of our visit to the Main event show at the Tucson Convention Center. This show caps off over two weeks of exploring the 40+ shows in the Tucson Showcase. We are sad to see the show come to an end, but to be honest I am both mentally and physically drained. We had a great time and I’m happy we could tow you along by showing you small bits of the shows.

The G&LW (Gem & Lapidary Wholesalers) was closing up. We have learned from past experience that the last day at this show the dealers are in a hurry to pack up and get out of there. They really don’t want to take goods back to wherever they came from and the beads may sell for 1/4 to 1/3 the costs they were at the beginning of the shows. We sort of grabbed and go’d on one side of the table, while the dealers packed up on the other side. Bonnie was a shopping fool, and made cash offers, you would not believe; that were accepted.

An amazing Amethyst specimen for sale at Collectors Edge.

Columbus Pearls-Yep, Guard stationed nearby.

Show floor.

Turquoise & Diamond Necklace

As we drifted through the Main Show we saw a special display honoring the past Carnegie Award Members including our friend Dr. George Robinson. We sure miss George (and his wife Susan) being around The A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum.

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Tucson Gem, Mineral, & Fossil Showcase-Return to the Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show

Sunny and 83 (Al Roker said Traverse City Michigan is expecting 10 inches of snow).We interpret this to mean 14-16 inches of snow in our driveway back home. Smile.

Pyrite Crystals from Navajun, Spain. There was a whole room full.

Canadian Ammonites. These are always $5,000 ++.

Today we made a return trip to the Arizona Mineral and Fossil show at the Hotel Tucson City Center. Bonnie had not seen the world record Uruguay amethyst or anything else at this show. The show is coming to an end and many vendors were starting to pack up,.

Moroccan Crocodiles abound in Tucson

Bonnie bought some new display items for our booth, and I enjoyed looking at ammonites. We enjoyed talking with the guys at Agates by Rock of Ages and we rummaged through their extensive bins with many types of agate slabs.. The agates keep drawing us in.

A fine Meteorite mount. I did not get the source.

Mastodon Leg just standing outside a room

I observed a full mastodon leg that still had some skin and hair on it. Check out the picture, if you don’t believe me.

The fiberglass dinosaurs were still fighting in the courtyard, and it looked like those raptors were not making much headway.

Old Collection, unknown what mine in the Keweenaw

I talked to Ken Flood from Keweenaw Gem and Gift, and he showed me a beautiful copper crystal specimen that has been featured in his booth.

Bonnie loves the colors of Australia’s Queensland Agate, or Agate Creek agates. She found some agate treasures there that we will have at the Agate Expo this summer, agate stretch bracelets and cute little rain forest jasper frogs. They look like they would be well camouflaged in a real rain forest.

Sea life at the rock show

We were happy to return to our RV and I even cut some of those agate slabs on my saw, getting ready for the next step on the grinder.

PS-The Internet at the RV Park has been so sporadic it’s difficult to do a whole blog without some sort of getting knocked off, losing data, or not being able to sign on; so frusrating to get a blog done, and have to start all over. I’ve foiled this, what I believe to be a communist plot, by doing the blog at 3am. So I’ve corrected this blog this morning. I know you guys have been checking out this blog, and I really appreciate it after all the effort.