Silicified death plates(maybe petrified algae too)

[jamesp]

From south Georgia. This stuff litters the bottom of the river. I need to collect this stuff. It is pretty and interesting.
This one has clam borings thru it. Also heat treated due to iron content.

This is made up of coral fragments settled to the bottom. Is very glassy in center

Bivalves and gumbo:)

Bivalves and gumbo sliced

Bivalves and gumbo heat treated and broke into tumbles

Would like your opinion. Looks like what the locals call petrified algae

Looks like bryozoans and more. Heat treated. Some heated to fine lavender color

Smorgasbord. Good candidate for heat treatment. Grainy cherty

A rare black silicification. Filled with fossiliferous silica


All collected a couple of weeks ago. Thanks for stopping by.

[Fossilman]

Dang Dude,that 1st pic is truely "KILLER"!!!!!! Thumbs up James!

[bhiatt]

To quote Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of The Time Bandit, YEAH BABY!(if you never seen the show Deadliest Catch J. Hillstrand has the best Yeah Baby!, when they get on good fishing.

these specimens are great.

[quartz]

Nice mtl. all, we especially like the ones with the holes, really different. Is that clam shell stuff hard enough to polish well? What we find here is in sandstone. Larry

[bsky4463]

The thread title is like the name of a heavy metal band - love it. I am with Fossilman, first one is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

[jamesp]

bsky-that is funny. Us rednecks always called it petrified algae. Then i heard the description 'death plates' on this forum. That name stimulated me to start collecting in fact. 'DEATH PLATE' eeerrrrggggg. Sounds like something Ozzie's Ironman wore on his head.LOL.

The first photo is typical of most of the stuff Larry. It varies from 1/4 inch to 3 inches thick. And has color variety. Flat plates 6 - 24 inch plates. If you find one 2 inches thick then you will find dozens more 2 inches thick. Move 50 feet away and they all may be 1 inch thick. Over the years i have seen fine looking colors and patterns but passed it by. Recently i saw where a knaper made fine spears out of it. That motivated me to start getting it too. It is super glassy and very pure silicification. So easy to chip long thin flakes. And polishes easy like coral.
That 1rst piece had the cosmic storm of yellows and browns and begged for heat treatment. I cooked 2 other smaller chunks and was sorry i did not bring more home as they came out great.

YEAH BABY. Thanks Brad. Wish i could find bones stuck in the 'death plate'. Where's the bones? They all ran over to the Dakotas to party. Must have been our gators ran them off.

[Fossilman]

My next run to the coastal pacific beaches,I'll pick you up a "death Plate" James....Thumbs up

[jamesp]

Bring it on. Gotta see the death of the west

[pghram]

You've got some nice specimens there.

Rich

[quartz]

That must be of similar formation to the bog agate we find in several areas, but much more color, our stuff is pretty bland. Like the holes. Larry

[jamesp]

Bog agate, hmm. A lot of stuff settles and petrifies. I think most of our coastal plain chert is just petrified settlement. Does bog agate have roots and woods in it?