Here are three different sizes of ammonite, which are fossilized cephalopods from 240 to about 65 million years ago. The large ammonite is opalized, and you can see the flashes of orange light around its edges. As usual, my photography hardly does it justice. Under lights, it sparkles and shines, but this photo was taken with natural morning sunlight coming in my window so there's only a hint of how spectacular it truly is.
The small ammonite on the bottom was sliced in half and polished so you can see the interior chambers that have, over millions of years, grown bits of druzy quartz in them. The opalization of the shells occurs as minerals (mostly aragonite) replace organic materials in the shells. As you can see with closer inspection of the large fossil, the opalized layer is a coating and doesn't go throughout the whole stone. When ammonites are opalized like this, the opalized coating is called ammolite, a trade name for the opalized layer when it is is cut from the fossilized shells and polished to gemstone quality. Ammolite has a trigonal crystalline lattice. According to the GIA, in order for an ammonite to become ammolite, it must be quickly buried, have no oxygen reach it, and for millions of years it needs to be safe from excessive pressure and heat. Like other fossils, ammonites are believed to contain powerful Earth energies so they are grounding. The spirals of an ammonite are like a nautilus and represent the unfolding of a spiritual path or spiritual awakening. They also promote positive vibration. If you love fossils, ammonites are a great point of entry as there are tons of varieties and you can find them fairly inexpensively for some of the smaller, more common specimens. If you buy them retail, two small polished ammonites here are about $20 each (for both halves of the fossil), and the larger ammonite is around $70, so they are a reasonably affordable entree to fossil collecting.
0 Comments
If you're looking for an example of just how cool nature can be, look no further than picture jasper. This piece is actually called Biggs blue picture jasper, and it comes from Biggs Junction, OR on the Deschutes River. The jasper is no longer mined.
Jasper is a form of microcrystalline quartz, and the images formed in the rocks and slabs are dendritic crystal formations and fossilized mud flow. Nature, it seems, is a fabulous artist, as it naturally painted this "tree" and left it for millions of years to be discovered, slabbed, and polished. Some indigenous populations believed the images in picture jasper were messages from the Earth coming from an ancient past, and they used it as a stone to lead them on shamanic journeys. Metaphysically, picture jasper is used for grounding and as a stone of protection and courage. It's also a good meditation stone as it connects the meditator with Earth energies. This is snowflake obsidian. Obsidian isn't actually a crystal or a mineral; because it doesn't have an internal lattice structure, it's actually classified as a mineraloid. It is an igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of lava. In other words, it's volcanic class. The snowflake pattern comes from partial crystallization of the glass that forms a mineral called cristobalite, which actually does meet the definition of a crystal/mineral (the black part is the mineraloid part). Snowflake obsidian has healing properties. It is an excellent tool for working with both the root and crown chakras. In fact, it connects root to crown and allows energy to flow between them through all your chakras.
Sometimes your eyes meet a crystal across the room and the angels start to sing. This is a gigantic emerald that lured me in with its beauty today. Now it lives with me.
Emerald is a beryl, which is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate. Other beryls include aquamarine, heliodor, phenacite, and morganite. It has a hexagonal crystalline lattice (something that shows well in this specimen). Emerald gets its deep green color from impurities of chromium and sometimes vanadium. It is considered a precious gemstone and is known for its inclusions and imperfections; flawless emeralds are pretty hard to come by. I love discovering crystals I haven't previously heard of. This one came to me from the Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase via my favorite Facebook mineral group, The Mineral Division.
The stone is garnierite, named for its discoverer, Jules Garnier, who found it in New Caledonia in 1864. It's a hydrated silica nickel ore which may have traces of other minerals, including peridot, serpentine, talc, or chlorite (among others). Since it is a mixture of various minerals, it doesn't have a clearly defined chemical or mineral composition, and it doesn't have a specific crystalline structure, it also doesn't have a defined lattice type like many other minerals. However, it does exude a lovely, loving energy. Garnierite is a stone to help you discover unconditional self love. It can guide you to this by reminding you that you are Divine in nature and by connecting to that Divine part of yourself, you will rediscover you are infinitely valuable, valued, and loved. I adore what I like to call "bonus crystals," which are crystals that have more than one crystal or mineral structure in them. I have several in my collection including some cool pseudomorphs, which are crystals that contain a single mineral but have the form of another mineral they replace. The two below are great examples of bonus crystals containing more than one mineral.
On the top left is a combination of sunstone (orange) and iolite (grey/blue) in a quartz matrix. Iolite is also known as water sapphire and is a great visionary stone as well as one that enhances self expression, while sunstone is a feldspar crystal that supports positivity and creativity. The combination makes this a wonderful crystal for bring unusual creative ideas to fruition, and it's also a highly empowering stone. The clear quartz magnifies these qualities. On the top right is a smoky quartz cluster with red hematite phantoms. Phantoms in crystals are pre-existing crystals that a new crystal grows around. So in this case, it was once a red hematite crystal, but smoky quartz grew around it. Red hematite is a very grounding stone, as is smoky quartz, and when I hold this I can immediately notice myself grounding deeply into the planet. On the bottom left is one of Jim's crystals. It's a zeolite (which is a group of alluminosilicate crystals) that has pink apophyllite completely covering mordenite, although you can see on the ends the mordenite. Mordenite is an excellent crystal for removing distractions, improving focus, and helping one see emotional situations from a more detached perspective, while pink apophyllite helps heal and release old emotional wounds. Therefore, this is an excellent crystal for releasing and healing emotional baggage that no longer suits you. On the bottom right is a large geode with what I suspect is citrine druze with a large honey calcite piece in it. Citrine is a stone of prosperity. It also encourages self-expression. Honey calcite supports persistence and strength along with self-esteem. Both are also third chakra crystals that strengthen personal identity and self-image. Lodolite (inclusion quartz) with inclusions in the shape of angel wings. Lodolite is actually a trade name for included quartz that comes from Brazil. This one is actually smoky quartz with inclusions, and you may also see lodolite called scenic quartz or inclusion quartz, and the inclusions come from various minerals, such as feldspar or chlorite.
I get pretty excited about crystals, and no wonder. They are beautiful, have great energy, and they're just a little bit addictive. However, as much as I talk about crystals and recommend various gems and minerals, I think it's really important to discuss safety, as well.
While I don't want you to panic and think your crystals are going to kill you, it's important you use good safety practices when working with, storing, and handling your rocks. That's because crystals can and do contain toxic substances like lead, antimony, strontium, copper, aluminum, arsenic, and others. It's one of the reasons you seldom see me talk about crystal elixirs - because I am concerned without the proper safety measures in place, someone is going to pop a toxic crystal into a glass of water and drink it. I'm actually covering the topic of making and using safe crystal elixirs in my upcoming book and crystals class in Portland (Feb. 25, 2018), and I may make a video for this blog at some point, as well. However, in the meantime, if you do make crystal elixirs, PLEASE look up the safety information for the crystal you are planning on using before you do so. Some other common sense safety tips for using crystals:
So, in summary...don't be afraid of your crystals unless the super sharp or heavy ones are in the hands of a violent killer who is coming after you and using them as a weapon. However, do use caution when working with them because they may contain toxic substances. Wash your hands, don't eat or drink them, and be smart. If you have questions about a specific crystal, please feel free to contact me (my FB Author Karen Frazier page is your best bet), as well. Image by Gabby Conde from Pixabay Even when you think you'll remember, there's a darn good chance you'll get your crystal specimens home and think, "Now what the heck was this again?" That's why I like to snap a photo of the crystal with its name/description on my phone while I'm in the store. Then, I keep a file of crystal photos organized by color on my computer, and whenever I want to remember what something, I can look it up quickly.
Try this. Trust me - it'll help you remember what you bought, and if the store has good descriptions of crystals, it will also help you remember its properties. |
Categories
All
Archives
December 2022
|