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 Post subject: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:40 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:42 pm 
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wowee that would make one cool looking stone!!!

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 Post subject: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:14 pm 
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http://gemstories.yolasite.com/fossil.php


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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:33 pm 
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Sorry for hijacking Barbra. :oops: Thanks for splitting the topic.

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:57 pm 
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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".


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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:00 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:30 pm 
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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!

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:04 am 
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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.

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 12:07 pm 
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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.

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 6:41 pm 
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Does anyone have any pictures of dino bones they cut? I would love to see!

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:08 pm 
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Here's a couple of mine -- the black spot in the lower one is shadow from my camera lens.


Attachments:
Donosaur Bone (Fossilized).JPG
Donosaur Bone (Fossilized).JPG [ 63.05 KiB | Viewed 4173 times ]
DCab 120.jpg
DCab 120.jpg [ 52.69 KiB | Viewed 4173 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:48 pm 
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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.

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...and some rough. Some of the slabs are sliced up ready for cabs.
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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/

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:05 pm 
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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.
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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. :(

Petrified wood, believed to be Sycamore also:
Image
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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:55 pm 
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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
Sycamore Wood.JPG [ 35.77 KiB | Viewed 4160 times ]
DCab 245.JPG
DCab 245.JPG [ 30.64 KiB | Viewed 4160 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: Fossils that are used as Gems
PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:59 pm 
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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.


Attachments:
DCab 152.JPG
DCab 152.JPG [ 44.02 KiB | Viewed 4160 times ]

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