Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:19 pm Posts: 590 Location: Las Vegas, NV
I spent a good portion of the day talking with the dinosaur bone people in the coliseum parking lot! LOL They were very nice and helpful people. I would love to get my hands on some of this new opal to cut, but I am very much addicted to gem bone.
_________________ NOTICE: I am the victim of an iPad. I am not liable for any typos, missing letters, added letters, misspellings, or words that simply do not make sense. If you too are affected by an iPad, you know.....
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Oh, no worries....I thought that "Fossils used as Gems" would be a real interesting topic on it's own..... If you posted an opalized clam shell pseudo-morph on the opal thread it would have been a tough decision, but the dinosaur bone is now "born free".
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Beautiful material, Ryan.
One of the really odd things not shared by those who don't actually cut stones is what I call the "Olfactory Experience."
You'd think the bones of a creature that's been dead for many millions of years and mostly fossilized into stone would no longer have any organic characteristics. But as I grind away at Dinny Bone I'm always aware of a strong musty odor that can only be related to a once-living creature.
Other stones can be "smelly" too, especially pyrite and marcasite that give off the characteristic rotten egg stink as they're being cut. But the beauty of the finished stones is usually worth putting up with the smell and the grimy hands that result.
Anyhow, as I work Dinny Bone the odor always makes me acutely aware that I'm paying respects to a giant of the earth that perished long before our puny species climbed down from the trees into the savannah.
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:19 pm Posts: 590 Location: Las Vegas, NV
VERY true Rick, it does give off a very distinct odor. No matter how well agatized it is too. I think that's one of the things that attracts me to dino bone- it actually once being a living creature. It gives you kind of a mushy, special connection with history. Not to mention it can be downright gorgeous!
Barbra Voltaire wrote:
Oh, no worries....I thought that "Fossils used as Gems" would be a real interesting topic on it's own..... If you posted an opalized clam shell pseudo-morph on the opal thread it would have been a tough decision, but the dinosaur bone is now "born free".
Well, in that case, I have plenty of pictures to share in this topic!! It really is a pretty good idea for it's own topic. Good idea!
Musky odor? Can it be captured by soaking in alcohol? As I make custom perfumes with natural ingredients only, it migh be a new perfume additive as well as sibet, musk or ambra. Let me know what you find out.
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Conny, there's quite a difference in meaning between "musty" (the word I used) and "musky." "Musty" = stale or moldy in odor or taste; "musky" I'm sure you already know. I'm not sure your proposed Eau de Tyrannosaurus would have wide appeal but I'll send you a little slab of dinosaur bone and you can do tests yourself.
Does anyone have any pictures of dino bones they cut? I would love to see!
_________________ NOTICE: I am the victim of an iPad. I am not liable for any typos, missing letters, added letters, misspellings, or words that simply do not make sense. If you too are affected by an iPad, you know.....
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:19 pm Posts: 590 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Here's a few dino bone cabs i've cut- I have a ton more on top of the machine to be cut this weekend though.
...and some rough. Some of the slabs are sliced up ready for cabs.
I have a decent little collection of gem bone, but if anyone wants to see one of the nicest collections out there, check out Mark Anderson's Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/people/gembonegallery/
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:19 pm Posts: 590 Location: Las Vegas, NV
As much as I love gem dino bone, there are a few more fossil materials that I really enjoy- Most of which, is Hell's Canyon Herringbone wood. This material was dug in 1950s in Oregon and the spot where it was found is now under water thanks to a dam holding in a reservoir. The material was held on to for about 50 years then sold in an estate sale. It's said to be a fossilized Sycamore tree and all the material found came from one or two original logs. There are holes in the wood, some filled in and some not, that are believed to have been dry-rot from when the trees were still standing. This material is not very easy to find as most of what is out there is sold by one person who bought the entire hoard.
I have a few slabs and some cut stones, plus more slabs that I haven't photographed yet.
My favorites out of the way, here are a few extras. I have much more, though I haven't had much time to get the camera out.
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Great material, Ryan. I used to have a super dinny bone "connection" but I've lost touch with him. I still have some very nice slabs to cut, mostly reds. I really like the variety in the cabs and slabs you posted. I'm a sucker for those pink and yellow hues.
This is opalized sycamore wood from either Oregon or Washington. I got the rough from a friend in Boise so it could possibly be from the old Hell's Canyon source.
Attachments:
Sycamore Wood.JPG [ 35.77 KiB | Viewed 4188 times ]
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Here's another unusual material. It's fossilized coral from Alaska. There's a lot of fossil coral from Indonesia on the current market but as I understand it the Alaskan source is no longer producing. I wish there was more of it; the patterns have tremendous detail.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 29 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum