| GO 340 Gemstones & Gemology |
http://www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/tucson/tucson08b.htm
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| GO 340 Gemstones & Gemology |
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Inviting entrance to a fossil extravaganza! Ammonites and more. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Ammonites with a play of colors are from Alberta, Canada. For more information see www.korite.com. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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Coloration in this extinct ammonite fossil is exceptional. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
When fashioned into a gem, the name assigned is ammolite. This was designated the official gemstone for Alberta in 2004. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
These mollusks died near the end of the Cretaceous, 65 million years ago. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
The iridescence is a result of a nacreous shell of alternating layers of aragonite and conchiolin. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
The play of color layer is thin, about 0.5-0.8 mm or 0.02-0.03 inches in thickness without the matrix. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
A cracking or frost shattering is common on the shell and referred to as dragon skin or a stained glass window pattern. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Ammonites were predatory marine mollusks who lived in the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
 Image taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Image:Cretaceous_seaway.png |
Ammonites were cephalopods and share similarities with modern relatives including squid, octopus and chambered nautilus. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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Fossils galore! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Yes, visit them at www.jcfossils.com/. It is worth the your time! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Fossil fish preserved in the Eocene Green River Formation, Lincoln County, Wyoming. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
They reported finding Stingrays, Gar, Paddle Fish, Crayfish, Crocodile Teeth, Bird, Leaves, and Insects. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
I can imagine them swimming and enjoying life at one time! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Preservation is remarkable and specimens are uncovered using hand tools. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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It was fascinating to watch the fish back to life! A spectacular palm frond is in the background. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Yes, you may have seen them featured in a 2007 Cash and Treasure TV show from the Travel Channel! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Fossils, fossils, fossils. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Enormous trilobites! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Ammonites, trilobites and crinoids - of my! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Preserved crinoid specimens! These animals are also called sea lilies or feather stars. They first appeared 530 million years ago and flourished in the Paleozoic shallow inland seas. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Trilobites are an extinct class of arthropods that first appeared 570 million years ago and flourished in the Paleozoic. They died out 240 million years ago, late Permian. Trilobites were bottom dwellers and their remains have been found on every continent! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Susie for scale. Image by J. Archer; photo date 2/08. |
Moroco has Belemnite fossils! These fossils are Devonian in age and an extinct member of the Mollusk group, Orthoceras. These elongated cephalopods are stunning in the rock matrix and crafted into table tops, sinks, plates, goblets, or sculptures! For more information, www.paleodirect.com/ strceph1.htm. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Satin spar gypsum hollowed for lights. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
 More Eocene fishes framed and ready to display behind the sofa! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Ammonites were everywhere! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Eocene fish... Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Cave bear for display and sale! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
In the midst of all the fossils, a lone quartz crystal displays a treasure from the Earth. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Did I menion petrified wood... furniture? Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Slabs and trunks, petrified wood makes a stunning display! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Office desk to coffee table... Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
It makes a comfortable living room setting! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Petrified wood! Image S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
...and more petrified wood. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Enjoying nature inside...with petrified wood. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Sea and land fossils. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Stromatolite display and Orthoceras wine bottle holder?! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
 Dinosaur trackways, Dromaeosaurus albertensis, were found in China. The toe impression shows only two toes; the killing claw was held off the ground when walking. This animal was a carnivore and lived in the Cretaceous. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Preserved palm frond in a limestone! Susie for scale?! Image by S. Kelley; photo date 2/08. |
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Fossils from Kansas! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Preserved early life in the Biwabik Iron Formation, Northern Minnesota. Stromatolite colony Proterozoic, 2.1 billion years old. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Great preservation in limestone. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Fossils... Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Fossils... and Uruguayan amethyst geodes! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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Glyptodon was a large, armored mammal related to the armadillo but lived during the Pleistocene. It could be the sized of a Volkswagen Beetle car! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
This animal was likely a herbivore, grazing on grass and plants, with movement of only 1-2 miles per hour! What an awesome tail?! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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Mammoth skeleton and recreated one with hair. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
This Woolly Mammoth Reproduction was for sale at $25,000.00. The card read...Carcasses have been found preserved in frozen ground in Siberia. They grew the size of Asiatic elephants of today and possessed warm coats of long guard hairs and soft underwool, with large curved ivory tusks and knob-like heads. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Wooly rhino. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
These two images show the Pleistocene Bison (Bison priscus). Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
This steppe bison became extinct between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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The Musk Ox was for sale at $30,000. It was from the Pleistocene era, Siberia. The animal has been reintroduced to Russia today. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Cave Bear skeleton (Ursus spelaeus) uncovered in Russian cave in the Ural Mountains, 2004, with 79% bone recovered. $20,000.00. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
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...and if you appreciate chess and Pleistocene creatures you will love this carved set. Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Bone, teeth, ivory... Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
What a game! Image by S.W. Aber; photo date 2/08. |
Return to the gemstone course Syllabus or Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Shows.
This page originates from the Earth Science department for the use and benefit of students enrolled at Emporia State University. For more information contact the course instructor, S. W. Aber, e-mail: saber@emporia.edu Thanks for visiting! Webpage created: February 2008; last update: February 15, 2008.
Copyright 2008 Susan Ward Aber. All rights reserved.
