Post by bcrockhound on Nov 19, 2017 15:18:29 GMT -5
Hi folks, hope you've all been well!
I haven't been BC rockhound in three years now. I have been living around the Canadian north but recently find myself in Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
At a craft fair this weekend, I was interested to find a seller from Paulatuk, a small community close to us, with amber for sale. Her husband had found it in petrified logs in Paulatuk. I questioned her extensively about this, and it does sound like her husband had come across quite a few of these logs that were definitely in rock form.
The area is also known for its coal deposits. In fact, the community's name is an Indigenous word for "place of coal." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_Hills
Apparently, the logs this fellow has found contain many pieces of amber. It sounded like he was more interested in the amber than the petrified wood, but I begged her to get him to take a photo of the wood for me.
Also, this man makes some pieces out of a black material that he says is harder than soapstone but is able to bend into rose-petal shapes and smooth out. Is this basalt, or any idea?
Anyway, I was surprised to hear about the amber and petrified wood. After googling it, I see there is an island known for it not too far away in Nunavut.
Some pics of the items are below.
The black stone:
This one is the amber inside I believe muskox horn/bone or what have you:
I haven't been BC rockhound in three years now. I have been living around the Canadian north but recently find myself in Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
At a craft fair this weekend, I was interested to find a seller from Paulatuk, a small community close to us, with amber for sale. Her husband had found it in petrified logs in Paulatuk. I questioned her extensively about this, and it does sound like her husband had come across quite a few of these logs that were definitely in rock form.
The area is also known for its coal deposits. In fact, the community's name is an Indigenous word for "place of coal." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_Hills
Apparently, the logs this fellow has found contain many pieces of amber. It sounded like he was more interested in the amber than the petrified wood, but I begged her to get him to take a photo of the wood for me.
Also, this man makes some pieces out of a black material that he says is harder than soapstone but is able to bend into rose-petal shapes and smooth out. Is this basalt, or any idea?
Anyway, I was surprised to hear about the amber and petrified wood. After googling it, I see there is an island known for it not too far away in Nunavut.
Some pics of the items are below.
The black stone:
This one is the amber inside I believe muskox horn/bone or what have you:
