Knee-deep in rocks, fossils, paper, cardboard and scraps of sticky white labels. Getting there.
Currently in the middle of washing a load of Californian jade which had been lying in somebody's basement in Arizona for years. It's nice stuff, and I got a great deal on it.
Somewhere along the line, a few boxes got a bit of a soaking. Not a problem for most rocks, you'd think, but there are some which will have an adverse reaction.Will have to repack quickly...
2 comments:
How can a rock be affected by water [other than erosion over the longer term], does it catch a cold of some sort? What does Californian jade look like and does jade differ dramatically from continent to continent, if so, why?
Californian jade is a little more laid back the many other jades. Often, it'll tell you it's really jade, and only working as a serpentine between jobs.
Jade is actually two minerals - nephrite (an amphibole) and jadeite (a pyroxene). Both are formed as a result of metamorphosis. Ciolour can vary a fair bit, but mostly light green to dark green or black.
Some fossil bearing rocks are quite porous and can absorb water quickly. Long term, this is not good for their integrity. I've had boxes of lovely fossil fish ruined by being soaked. Some minerals can react badly to water, too. Not that many, but pyrites and halite are good examples.
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