A few macros of an odd coral

[jamesp]

Rarely find this design corallite. And they are large at 1/2 inch.

[Deleted]

Looks like the cross sections of tiny oranges.beautiful

[quartz]

An interesting pattern and nice color combination, thanks for pics.

[Sabre52]

Wow, great color and polyp patterns on that one....Mel

[Fossilman]

Totally cool!!!!

[junglejim]

I really like the corals, very cool. Keep them coming.

[jamesp]

Thanks you guys. Yes Jim, I probably will-ha,wear out my welcome. I have a coral fetish. sick, eh ?

[grayfingers]

That color and pattern is most pleasing. Looks like a different specie that the (family?) of corals you usually find. The corallites look larger too, no? I wonder what are the little squarish ares between the corallites.

[jamesp]

That does have large corallites Bill. About two times bigger in diameter. This coral that has the squarish areas between the corallites seem to
replace better showing the corallites. Even the rind still shows the corallites in eroded shape like skeletons. So you can ID this type easily by looking at the rind.
I will have to study theses patterns between the corallites; they are typical of Indonesian corals. As is the larger corallites.
I may find a whole reef of them. Since the coral comes in large groupings....As one shoal may be loaded w/a lot of nice silicified patterns. When it
rains it often pours so to speak.

[jamesp]

That does have large corallites Bill. About two times bigger in diameter. This coral that has the squarish areas between the corallites seem to
replace better showing the corallites. Even the rind still shows the corallites in eroded shape like skeletons. So you can ID this type easily by looking at the rind.
I will have to study theses patterns between the corallites; they are typical of Indonesian corals. As is the larger corallites.
I may find a whole reef of them. Since the coral comes in large groupings....As one shoal may be loaded w/a lot of nice silicified patterns. When it
rains it often pours so to speak.

You can see how the skin/rind is corallite skeletons. Similar material..

[quartz]

Coral fetish, no I don't think so. Sick, well??? I think we all here appreciate the opportunity to share in your collection of a material not available to the majority of us, be it in picture or possession, thanks to your time investment and generosity.
Larry

[jamesp]

I see the lava. Man does it produce a lot of Sunstone crystals. By volume almost 1/2 ! The guy is down 40 feet ? Track hoe? Or tunnel? That material has the mother load potential.
Both in size or color or both. That is addictive. Sounds like great 14 hour days of pleasure. The lava part looks the same as a covering they put on athletic running tracks, like 1/4 mile
track.

Who wouldn't want to find this stuff. Like the word 'schillers'

[jamesp]

Mar 17, 2014 22:04:12 GMT -5 quartz said:

Coral fetish, no I don't think so. Sick, well??? I think we all here appreciate the opportunity to share in your collection of a material not available to the majority of us, be it in picture or possession, thanks to your time investment and generosity.
Larry

and the McDermitt is exceptional. I will be sawing them to cube shapes and getting them in the tumbler. Crazy about the McDermitt. Have had a few cubes running
hard w/the coral. Darn things are gonna be round. It would actually make fine spheres.

[quartz]

Surprised you got that pkg. so quick, glad you like it. I wish we could have sent you some better schillers, but all but two pieces we found were very small this time, and one of the bigger pieces was only about 1/8 thick. Did about 3.2% schillers by weight, but not good for size. Maybe next trip. Everything down there is open pit, the deep ones are ramped for excavator or hoe access once beyond surface reach. The pic. you put up is way "flowered up", that is mined stuff, and probably a good amount of mtl. processed to find them. We did find two pieces in our sort that had a bit of green in them, one 3ct., the other 3.5ct. The only color we ever found. Fortunate to find these on the surface. Pleased that you like the McDermitt wood, a little trading gets us both some very unique to each of us, and enjoyable stuff.
Larry

[jamesp]

How thick is that lava layer? And is it still where it was when it cooled or did it get lifted or shifted ?
Those McDermitts are some solid ones. Any theory on what kind of wood it is ?

[quartz]

The lava layer varies from inches to about four feet [in known areas] thick. It lays where it flowed, and was submerged for probably centuries as the bottom of a really big lake, or inland sea. This is in the area called The Great Basin. Odd to see water worn rocks out there. The old water lines are visible part way up on the surrounding hills. We have never studied the origins of the McDermitt wood, or heard theories from others. Likely someone on the forum has some ideas about it.

[jamesp]

Mar 18, 2014 22:25:02 GMT -5 quartz said:

The lava layer varies from inches to about four feet [in known areas] thick. It lays where it flowed, and was submerged for probably centuries as the bottom of a really big lake, or inland sea. This is in the area called The Great Basin. Odd to see water worn rocks out there. The old water lines are visible part way up on the surrounding hills. We have never studied the origins of the McDermitt wood, or heard theories from others. Likely someone on the forum has some ideas about it.

I want to look at The Great Basin on topo and see it's boundaries. Like to look at water lines. Maybe get a view of the shore on Google Earth.

Looks like you must remove over burden to get to the lava layer? Or are there washes that cut thru it? I would guess the 4 foot thick layer
has the bigger sunstones?

I have started looking at elevations to find coral and struck gold. The coral seems to be around 90-110 above sea level. If the river cuts
thru a slope that has that elevation in it's grade i find occasional coral down in the river. If the river cuts thru a flat topped plateau
at around 90-110 elevation i find a lot of coral down in the river. Looks like the coral thrived at 90-110. So using a topo map allows me to
nail coral habitat. Making sense? The plateau was probably loaded up w/reefs. One river is at 40. When it cut/undermined thru the 90-110 elevation
the reef capping it at that optimum coral habitat it came rolling down in the river and washed all the sand leaving rock(coral) bars in the river.
So the coral is everyhere in a plataeu cut verses a slope cut. If the river cuts thru 85 feet or lower i never find a single coral. Of 12 miles
of this river there are about 6 little spots where it cuts thru the 90-110 elevation and coral is at all of them.
They are random and piled and broke apart from their original connected state. The other river passes thru the coral at about 87 feet. In that
river the coral is often still connected in 5-10 foot sections still interlocked since it did not fall far from it's original reef position. The type
of coral i find is typical of shallow water corralite structure. The geologists do not seem to mention an ancient sea at 110 elevation. If i go higher
than 110 there is no coral. The phosphate mine sorrounds the coral bearing area and is open strip mined. I can drive for miles in their tailings and
have never found a single coral at that elevation. Of course, I am just looking for coral and am not to concerned about the theories of geology. But
the coral may have a story to tell.

[grayfingers]

James, there is a little on McDermitt wood on page 7 of this .pdf, mentions the lava and the sea. . .

www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~cbaisan/BBTRB/Petrified1.pdf

Another. . .more detail.

nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/downloads/61/61_p0157_p0162.pdf

[grayfingers]

I think the 2nd pdf may be about a different formation oopps (McDermott)

[gingerkid]

Really like your macro-shots of the unusual coral, jamesp. Very nice trade with quartz. The sunstones are beautiful!