chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Nov 30, 2010 1:54:13 GMT -5
As happens almost every time I go to my mother-in-law's farm in southern Indiana I found something interesting. There's a creek that runs through the back side of the property and it's always exposing interesting items. We've found arrow heads, geodes, ancient animal traps, all kinds of oddities. Here's the latest from my T-giving trip to Mom's, restful, relaxing, and interesting: Saw this lump sticking up in the middle of the creek, was so round I thought it might have been man made. Was about the size of a grapefruit. I knelt down and noticed it had what looked like fossil impressions all over it. Some spots looked like tiny pieces had broken off of it. Little tiny caves all over it had what looked like the remnants of shell fossils. I pried it up from the muck and much to my surprise... ...there's this gorgeous geode inside it! Just beautiful. I can insert my index finger up to the second knuckle in this opening. I wish I'd found the missing piece off the end but am happy to have found what I did. I normally come back with bags full of specimens and fossils, but this was all I got this trip and it was well worth it. Too cold, too rainy. Now I just gotta figure out what to do with it. Likely just polish the face as it is and leave it as a specimen. Need to figure out how to clean the rest of the mud and muck stains off of it. Any suggestions on that? A brush and soap didn't do the trick...
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Post by tandl on Nov 30, 2010 8:58:08 GMT -5
Well , This is close to home . What you have is a Rugose "horn coral" geode . Rugose corals were solitary ,but often lived in close proximaty . for what ever reason they would die and be covered with sediment , then over time be turn to stone . Then over millions of years mineralization and weathering can produce a geode like yours . Geodes with fossils visible are more rare than being silicified or agatized fossils . Most all the geodes and agates in the midwest were once marine creatures . Your geode is quartz , so acid should clean most of the muck , or submerge in vinegar . setting it out in the sun will too . Creek and river finds around here ,can be pretty crudy . That is a cool piece .
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 30, 2010 9:14:52 GMT -5
Yeah I'd agree with that. it does appear to be a geode after coral. Lots of the geodes in that part of the country and even here in Texas are formed in voids left by marine life that has dissolved away. Crinoid heads and coral heads are some of the more common things that seem to form the geodes....Mel
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Post by rockmanken on Nov 30, 2010 9:15:46 GMT -5
Robin, the safest way to clean it would be to use SIO (Super Iron Out) in laundry at grocery. It is the safest to use. Put it in warm water until the water is saturated. Soak for a couple of days. Then put in clean water with a little baking soda for the same amount of time. Your fossils won't be damaged and the crystals will have the iron stains removed. Good luck on getting the mud from between the crystals out. That takes a dental pick(Harbor Freight) and a LOT of patience. Ken
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Nov 30, 2010 10:03:30 GMT -5
Nice specimen!
It looks like you might have iron crystals amongst (pyrite, marcasite, or goethite, etc.) the quartz. I don't know whether Super Iron Out will damage or remove them.
Chuck
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Post by Toad on Nov 30, 2010 12:25:27 GMT -5
Neat specimen
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Nov 30, 2010 14:04:43 GMT -5
Great find, Robyn. Don't forget to take pics when ya get it all cleaned up!
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Nov 30, 2010 21:15:17 GMT -5
If it looks that good dirty, I can't imagine how beautiful that will be once it's all cleaned up. Awesome find Robin!
Nate
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