jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,601
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Post by jamesp on Jan 10, 2014 21:25:50 GMT -5
This is 10 corals broke and in separate piles. The oven holds 40 so this is 10 of them that are tumbler ready chips. From Zephyr Hills FL. and Valdosta GA. The ones with the thick really white rind and thick black layer are from Zephyr Hills(near Tampa). They are hard to break because of the thick padding of the limestone. Once removed to the glassy center they chip easily. The orange, gray, white and blueish are from Valdosta. The color variation seems to never stop. strange stuff
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Post by nowyo on Jan 10, 2014 23:01:32 GMT -5
Now, I've seen the pictures of your cooked corals before. Really neat stuff. It would be interesting to know the chemical composition of that material to know why it reacts to heat the way it does. It's obviously highly silicified, has to be some impurities reacting to the heat accounting for the color change. Any idea the pH of that river water? What if any metals are/were mined in that area or upstream? Or maybe its the alligator poop that does it.
Russ
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,601
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Post by jamesp on Jan 10, 2014 23:22:46 GMT -5
It is highly influenced by the habitat. White, blue, red, black, brown, clays that it has been packed in for many years has a big bearing.
Find out what it in the clay and you will have answers regarding chemistry.
Coral in shoals that is hit by the tannic acid rich water has a definite impact.
Coral from white sand can go all kinds of colors.
Coral in spring water has it's own colors.
Coral in the bank that has swamp water in the flood plain flowing across it can heat to very rich colors.
Coral from salt water is pink white black and blue-go figure.
And then the 300 mile range has variations to add.
Coral that has incomplete silicifications on the inside(common) can really have rich colors.
When i heat agate from out west that is often found in lava flows often just turns brown and not so attractive. The corals in that tray were quite boring before heat. It will take a lifetime and will keep getting variation. I have to cover some ground to get to so many variations. Been collecting for a long time and know where to go helps.
No mines. Just a lot of metal salts and organic compounds i believe. They have to have some color to change. Gray, white and clear does not change much. If you ever figure out the dang chemicals please let me know. Thanks for looking nowyo.
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Post by pghram on Jan 10, 2014 23:53:39 GMT -5
The variety of those is always amazing.
Rich
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,601
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Post by jamesp on Jan 11, 2014 0:03:11 GMT -5
Glad you like them Rich. When are you going to the Savannah. That stuff as w/most coastal plain cherts/flints/agates heat to very nice colors.
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Post by pghram on Jan 11, 2014 0:42:40 GMT -5
Hopefully when the weather gets a little better, & I get a break from work.
Rich
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 11, 2014 9:42:19 GMT -5
The colors are great James!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,601
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Post by jamesp on Jan 11, 2014 10:19:05 GMT -5
The colors are great James! Are your rivers full of water Fossilman? I know you have to wait for low water to collect on the Willamette i think.
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