Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2020 16:09:27 GMT -5
Anyone here collect, or know of a source for, Kansas amber (aka, "Kansasite" or "Jelinite"). Supposed to have been found along the Smoky Hill River in Ellsworth County. Just found out that it has been named Kansas's official state gemstone, and I don't have a piece for my collection of state rocks. Hope it isn't one of those impossible-to-find materials like Alabama's "Star Blue quartz" or Florida's "Moonstone" that doesn't seem to ever get found in those places.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 22, 2020 20:47:52 GMT -5
I'm guessing it's hard to find:
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Post by knave on Jan 22, 2020 21:32:01 GMT -5
Pretty easy to find the WI state rock, lol.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2020 12:45:02 GMT -5
I'm guessing it's hard to find: Hopefully not impossible (my radar starts to ping when I see terms like "holy grail" - sometimes those tales get told to bump up prices). Seems bizarre to designate something of which there are only a couple examples an official State Gem. Makes me wonder whether any of it has even been cut for jewelry? I suppose I'll have to get some opaque yellow amber as a filler until some comes on the market - surely there will be some local rockhounds searching all over that region since the designation last year.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 23, 2020 18:46:36 GMT -5
According to that article, it appears it only came from one small area that the Corps of Engineers made into a reservoir. I have no idea if that's the truth, but I'll keep my eye out and if I ever see any for sale, I'll let you know.
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Post by rmf on Jan 24, 2020 4:05:10 GMT -5
@rocks2dust I have hunted KS for fossils to the west. There is little exposed on the Smoke Hill River. It is mostly a dry "river" bed. Though it looks like between Ellsworth and Kanapolis lake it may have water. Di the article say what formation it is in? In TN they say there is Amber at Coffee Landing but I have looked several times and never found any. Maybe I should look in the winter when they drop the lake levels.
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Post by rmf on Jan 24, 2020 4:06:53 GMT -5
BTW why would they not call Amber from Kansas, Kanber?
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 24, 2020 8:52:23 GMT -5
@rocks2dust I have hunted KS for fossils to the west. There is little exposed on the Smoke Hill River. It is mostly a dry "river" bed. Though it looks like between Ellsworth and Kanapolis lake it may have water. Di the article say what formation it is in? In TN they say there is Amber at Coffee Landing but I have looked several times and never found any. Maybe I should look in the winter when they drop the lake levels. Here's what it says:
Both formations have beds of lignite although such beds are thicker and more numerous in the Dakota. However, detailed mapping of the stratigraphy near Kanopolis Reservoir led Bayne and others (1971) to state “the fossil amber (jelinite) found in the NW SW sec. 18, T. 17 S., R. 6 W. …probably came from such a sequence [carbonaceous clay] in the lower parts of the Kiowa Formation.” This was a confirmation of previous statements by Langenheim and others (1965). So, the amber did originate in the Kiowa Formation. However, with the construction and filling of Kanopolis Reservoir in 1948-1951 covering the collecting locality, any refinement of stratigraphy is destined for the far future.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2020 11:50:47 GMT -5
So, the amber did originate in the Kiowa Formation. However, with the construction and filling of Kanopolis Reservoir in 1948-1951 covering the collecting locality, any refinement of stratigraphy is destined for the far future. When I read that, I wondered why amber - a fairly light material - would not have been washed downstream at least a couple of miles before being ground down to nothing? Seems like it should be present in alluvial deposits washed down before the dam construction. Would be unusual for a strata exposed at one point along a stream not also to be exposed downstream or in nearby cuts, so I'd think with its new notoriety as the State Gem, local rockhounds may now be more likely to be looking - at least I can hope
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fishnpinball
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Post by fishnpinball on Jan 24, 2020 16:19:29 GMT -5
The main area where it is found is in the reservoir and has been covered by a mudslide. There have been a few findings within the area.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 24, 2020 16:21:13 GMT -5
There's hope!
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Post by rmf on Jan 24, 2020 17:19:46 GMT -5
hummingbirdstones Thanks for that info. If I get out there again It might be worth looking. FYI since it is clay it would have been laid down is a very low energy environment so that would keep it from being ground away then. Not so much after exposed now. Thanks to all for the info.
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 27, 2020 8:28:28 GMT -5
@rocks2dust I have hunted KS for fossils to the west. There is little exposed on the Smoke Hill River. It is mostly a dry "river" bed. Though it looks like between Ellsworth and Kanapolis lake it may have water. Di the article say what formation it is in? In TN they say there is Amber at Coffee Landing but I have looked several times and never found any. Maybe I should look in the winter when they drop the lake levels. I follow a TN fossil group on FB, and they show finds of Amber at where you’re talking. Just small pieces tho.
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 27, 2020 8:29:17 GMT -5
According to that article, it appears it only came from one small area that the Corps of Engineers made into a reservoir. I have no idea if that's the truth, but I'll keep my eye out and if I ever see any for sale, I'll let you know. Start looking up old coal mine locations and see if they compare. Amber usually found in coal mines
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fishnpinball
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Post by fishnpinball on Mar 4, 2021 0:43:59 GMT -5
The rock shop in Abilene, ks named twigstones has 2 very large pieces that he obtained buying an old collection. I have no idea how to value them given the rarity. I was shocked how light they were. About a foot long and 4 inch diameter so I was shocked. And he only moved here from Atlanta a year ago.
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Post by stephan on Mar 4, 2021 11:56:18 GMT -5
BTW why would they not call Amber from Kansas, Kanber? Because then someone would have to call the pun police.
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Post by stephan on Mar 4, 2021 11:57:10 GMT -5
Pretty easy to find the WI state rock, lol. Same with California (serpentine is practically everywhere). Our state gem, however, is another story. Benitoite, named for San Benito County. There are a couple of mines, but for public collecting, to the best of my knowledge, Clear Creek is one of few, if not the only, locale.
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NRG
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Post by NRG on Mar 13, 2021 10:04:15 GMT -5
Pretty easy to find the WI state rock, lol. Same with California (serpentine is practically everywhere). Our state gem, however, is another story. Benitoite, named for San Benito County. There are a couple of mines, but for public collecting, to the best of my knowledge, Clear Creek is one of few, if not the only, locale. I had understood it that all the commercial mines were played out. That the only remaining wild benitoite was float in the areas downstream of those mines, in clear creek. Ive never been, but would love to night hike with a UV lamp.
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Post by Pat on Mar 13, 2021 10:21:54 GMT -5
NRG Scott, be careful. Benitoite shows up as the same color of scorpions --- a lovely blue.
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NRG
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Member since February 2018
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Post by NRG on Mar 13, 2021 13:46:32 GMT -5
NRG Scott, be careful. Benitoite shows up as the same color of scorpions --- a lovely blue. Love you Pat! Keep in mind I am the reptile dude. Im completely comfortable with venomous stuff. Plus the scorpions there are pretty wimpy. Not as bad as a wasp sting.
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