Category Archives: Canadian Rocks

Michipicoten Agates

I’ve learned that Michipicoten agates are sometimes difficult to polish. They seem to be somewhat of a “peeler” agate, prone to flaking. They sometimes look really nice shaped and polished! This one is Opaque, but not all are.
The back is as striking as the front!

Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior is the 6th largest Island in the Great Lakes, way out west of WaWa (Now you’re asking where the heck is Wawa?) Ontario. Travellers tip: Visit Wawa and see the giant Canadian Goose. OK, break out your Canada map. I have a feeling by the time I’m done typing this blog, I’ll be sick and tired of typing “Michipicoten”. I think Michipicoten is an old Indian name meaning “fairly remote place with no satellite TVs”. . My middle name is “Sarcasm”, so the winter residents of Michipecoten Island (Mostly Reindeer, and the wolves that eat them) must forgive me in advance for anything I say in this blog; also I tend to make stuff up, or factiously write things. Since I have never been to Michipecoten Island, I have to use the Internet for research. I always trust the Internet to be honest…NOT!

The word Michipicoten is an Anglicization of the original Ojibwe word Mishipikwadina, meaning “big bluffs” in Ojibwe, and is a reference to the geography of the nearby Michipicoten River.

Try as I may, I just can’t work the word “Michipicoten” into my daily vocabulary. I’d like to, just because it is so much fun to say. Even though Michipicoten Island is the second largest Island within the Great Lakes, it’s a wild and remote place. I understand that there is a healthy population of Woodland Caribou (introduced to Michipicoten Island in 1980); and Beavers seem to be thriving there. I believe that the Duluth Trading Company’s Logo Beaver may have come from there. Santa’s vacation home is located there also.

I’ve never been to Michipicoten Island, and may never go there. No, let’s get real; I will NEVER visit Michipicoten Island. I live vicariously through Agates I have purchased from a friend in Sault St. Marie, Canada. I now occasionally find one of these Michipicoten Agates in the barn, and make jewelry from it.

An example of Carrot Agate from Michipicoten Island.

Michipicoten Agates tend to be either oval shaped or ‘Carrot shaped”; like stalactites. These are shockingly refered to as “Carrot Agates”. Most of these carrots I have are pretty much Quartz Crystal, while a few are pretty nice agates, and can be sliced like bread. Agates on Michipicoten Island are very common in the local bedrock, but they are just for looking at, and are illegal to collect.

The inside of a Michipicoten Agate can be Common Quartz or beautiful agate.

Michipicoten Island became a Provincial Park in 1985. A Provincial Park, in Canada, is like National Park in America. Provincial Parks are protected areas, and like our National Parks, any “Natural Objects” cannot be removed. Michipicoten Agates, I’ve learned, are classified as “Natural Objects”.

You could book a hotel room on Michipicoten Island, except there are no Hotels. I could take our RV, except there is no RV Campground, 40 mile long bridge, or ferry. There are a few privately owned camps and cabins, that have grandfathered in, or you could simply take a boat to the Island, and camp on the beach. Not my cup of tea. We don’t tent camp anymore, and “Rough camping”, for us, is the satellite Antenna is not working on the RV. I hate it when a tree is in the way of the Dish. My understanding is that Kayaking is a popular Island activity (there are tour companies that sponsor Kayak tours to Michipicoten Island), as well as enjoying the Black Flies that live there. Actually Kayaking around Michipicoten island is on many Kayaker’s bucket lists (Sea Kayaks recommended). I use the word “around” as circumnavigating this Island.

I checked Tripadvisor for lodging and food on Michipicoten Island. Nothing available. I guess you have to book years in advance.

My wife and editor suggests that I keep on the subject; That being Michipicoten Agates.

OK, I enjoy all Lake Superior Agates, but I especially like unusual and rare types. Michipicoten Agates fall into that group. Unless I’m 100% sure a Laker is from Michipicoten Island, I do not refer to it as such. The few Michipicoten Agates I possess, or the jewelry I make from Michipicoten Agates, is guaranteed to be from Michipicoten Island, and was removed from this island decades ago.

I’m sure, if Michipicoten Island was not so remote, more agates would be available. I covet the few I have, and will continue to make some jewelry available in the future. By the way I am tired of typing Michipicoten.

Footnote: No agate jewelry can be delivered to Michipicoten Island. The closest thing to a post office is a lighthouse. Agates, as mentioned before, cannot be removed from Michipicoten Island. My wife (Bonnie) strives for a certain number of steps on her FitBit each day. Why can’t I strive for typing “Michipicoten” a couple dozen times? My editor (Bonnie) later suggested I spell Michipicoten Island correctly one time, then copy and paste it wherever I needed it. Hits self in head; Why did I not think of this? Possible answers: 1. It’s 3am 2. I’ve had no coffee 3. I should not risk awakening my Editor.

Cobalt/Cobaltite–a Rare Earth Find

Cobaltite in the rough.

Cobaltite in the rough.

I might pretend to my wife that I know where everything in my barn is, but much of the time my shop is a great rock hunting area. While looking around the other day I located a fairly heavy (for its size) rock with a black outer seam. This indicates to me that it is some type of ore. I cut this rock in half and noticed several seams of bright, shiny, silvery metal.

This could be one of several things, I thought perhaps silver, hematite, mohawkite or cobalt. I eliminated mohawkite right away also hematite simply because the metal was much harder. This left silver and cobalt. I was pretty sure that this material came from Canada, because it was in a bucket with a couple other Canadian rocks. I took this specimen to a rock hunting buddy, Kevin, for him to give his opinion. He tested with a pocket knife and eliminated the silver choice since the rock crumbled off under knife pressure. We knew that this was cobalt. The cobalt seams are in an agatized material that even had banded areas, sudomorphs of Cobalt actually; very unusual indeed. Cobalt is considered a rare earth element with many uses, including medical and even mixed with Samariun in the manufacture of rare earth magnets. Just for trivia, the human body contains 1 mg of cobalt. Some of you are old enough to remember the Cobalt Glass from the 1950’s and before. Some of these old Cobalt bottles are now very collectable.

This cobalt glass from the 50's and before will bring back memories for some.

This cobalt glass from the 50's and before will bring back memories for some.

Here's the inside,  The orange in the right seam is a reflection of my orange shirt.

Here's the inside

After some research, I discovered that this material is called Cobaltite. Cobalt is derived from a German word, kobald, meaning goblin. So I guess it is Goblin Ore! I knew from my artist days that Cobalt was used even in ancient Egyptian times for paint coloring. Even today cobalt blue is a hue for oil paint. Early Chinese used Cobalt for the blue in their pottery glazes. Cobalt was referred to as “goblin” in medieval times because medieval miners found that the element cobalt had some troublesome effects when it released toxic vapors during the smelting process. It has since been determined that safety during smelting in those times left a lot to be desired!

Cobaltite is an cobalt iron arsenic sulfide, sometimes containing silver, copper, lead, and nickel. By looking at pictures online I could tell my piece of Cobaltite originated in the Cobalt/Gowganda region near Timiskaming District in Ontario, Canada. This is an area north northwest of Sudbury. Some Cobalt from this area is very rich in silver, which appears to be the case with my rock. Still caution will be taken because of the arsenic content associated with Cobaltite. Cobalt has unusual crystal formations that it sometimes displays. One is cubic formation and the other is Icosahedral. If you want to check on this shapes there are resources in various rock & mineral books.

To get back to the hardness of the element Cobalt, it is fairly hard, at 5.5.

Saws get dirty with hazardous oil when cutting Mohawkite and Cobaltite.

Saws get dirty with hazardous oil when cutting Mohawkite and Cobaltite.

I use the same precautions when cabbing and slabbing this material as I do when cutting Mohawkite, another metal containing arsenic. Wear a respiratory, gloves, long sleeves, use lots of water, discard the cutting oil to eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination. Be safe when you deal with arsenides and many of the copper-related minerals.

Right now, I am finishing up slabbing some Mohawkite. Both Cobaltite and Mohawkite create a black gunky oil in my saws. After finishing this messy operation I must completely clean my saws with solvent and carefully dispose of the oil by encapsulating it in concrete. I try to get my saws as clean as possible so I do not get cross contamination with new oil and old residue containing arsenic.

I’ll continue this blog later when I make jewelry from the Cobaltite. First I have to cabochon the slabs, seal them, and wrap them. I’m actually eager to see how they turn out. I’ll show you in another blog.

Thomsonite-The Amazing Pink Gemstone of Lake Superior.

Selecting Thomsonite and having coffee..can't get much better.

Selecting Thomsonite and having coffee..can't get much better.

A few weeks ago I got a call from Grand Marais, Minnesota from a man I immediately liked. He said he was going to open a storefront and having seen my Greenstone Blog with the little Greenstones lined up on dop sticks, he thought I may be interested in selling some. He mentioned he had some very nice Thomsonite. I think we were on the same page, when I suggested we may be able to work out a barter; Greenstone for Thomsonite.

We met half way between his house and mine, in the Keweenaw. I looked through some very fine Thomsonite, while he looked through my Greenstone stash. I think we ended up with an equitable trade thus far. The trade is not complete as I need to get up to the North Shore and get more Thomsonte from him since he promised that there was lots more still at home. Who can carry all there rocks with them?

A selection or Thomsonite that are going to be cabbed and made into jewelry.

A selection or Thomsonite that are going to be cabbed and made into jewelry.

I recently cabbed the larger pieces, with great results. I even made a couple pendants from these gorgeous gemstones. These wild-eyed beauties of amazing pink are very popular. You know that Snob Appeal Jewelry specializes in Great Lakes rocks and minerals. Lake Superior Agates and Greenstones are our best sellers, followed by Thomsonite, Datolite, and Petoskey Stone jewelry, especially the rare Pink Petoskey.

Thomsonite is a copper-associated zeolite, and many of these gemstones sport little crystals of copper. Thomsonite is also found in the Keweenaw, but normally not with the dark eyes seen in North Shore stones. Both gemstones are highly coveted, scarce in good quality, and difficult to find and extract.

After cutting and wrapping the Thomsonite shown in the previous picture, I put them back near their same location in that picture.

After cutting and wrapping the Thomsonite shown in the previous picture, I put them back near their same location in that picture.

If you look at the piece in the bottom left of the picture, you will notice a large “Feather” Thomsonite. This form shows no eyes and is comprised of tiny silky needles showing a chatoyancy, or sheen, that cannot be captured in a picture. If you ever get a chance to see one of these feathers, don’t pass it up. It is really amazing gem material.

The finished gemstones in the second picture were all cut in one day. I’ve been making cabochons for a lot of years, but I cannot remember a single day that my cutting has produced a more beautiful collection of gemstones. I had a smile on my face during the whole process.

Pink eyes are indicative of Thomsonite. Pink gold with gold or silver enhance this gemstone.

Pink eyes are indicative of Thomsonite. Pink gold with gold or silver enhance this gemstone.

As I make Thomsonite Pendants from these stones, I discover even more beauty. It amazes me how no matter what color precious wire I use, the jewelry still looks fantastic. Two tone wire wraps of gold, silver, and pink gold show off these fantastic gemstones. I like to give them a little bling with an elegant top, but as always, I am careful not to distract from the amazing Thomsonite stone.

I am trying to get a few more pendants made, but I just had to take a break and show you the ones I made thus far. I think you will love them as much as I do.

Every Thomsonite lover looks for a dark eyed beauty.  I expect this one to sell fast.

Every Thomsonite lover looks for a dark eyed beauty for their stone jewelry collection.

Canadian Rocks and Jewelry

Michipicoten Agate with Amethyst.  A rare Lake Superior Agate.

Michipicoten Agate with Amethyst. A rare Lake Superior Agate, I call this Samethyst because of the salmon color and amethyst center.

I met my new good friend John when he called me based on seeing my Snob Appeal Jewelry website. John said he had acquired an old collection of Canadian rocks and minerals. I was immediately interested when he described some of his treasures, including a quantity of Michipicoten Island Agates that were removed over 70 years ago.

Michipicoten Agate with Moss.

Michipicoten Agate with Moss.

John's wife loved this pretty pink picture in this Michipicoten.

John's wife loved this pretty pink picture in this Michipicoten. What an unusual Lake Superior Agate pendant!

Michipicoten Island is now a Provincial Park, but 70 years ago it was not. Provincial Parks in Canada are the equivalent to National Parks in the U.S., and are protected. Collecting rocks today can get you in big legal trouble. The Michipicoten Agates are not rare on the island, but cannot be taken.

Michipicoten Agates formed in very fluid basalt and are an oval shape, rather than round, and formed in pockets. Like other Lake Superior Agates, they are varied in colors and types, coming in all sizes, types, and colors. Some that are not this oval shape look more like carrots, and are locally referred to as “Carrot Agates”. Some will make great jewelry, and some are better as specimens.

I am still trying to figure out what exactly this Green Mystery Rock is called.

I am still trying to figure out what exactly this Green Mystery Rock is called.

Although I don’t live far from Canada, I am not very familiar with Canada’s rock and minerals. Additionally some of the material I’m running across was collected over 50 years ago. These older pieces often are from played out locations. Sometimes a familiar rock looks quite different from the specimens that can be seen today.

The Mystery rock sure makes spectacular jewelry.

The Mystery rock sure makes spectacular jewelry.

One of these special Canadian rocks is beautiful green with Amphibole type (needle-like) crystallization. I sliced the rock into slabs and put it up on a Lapidary Facebook Group I belong to. Many guesses were made, but this rock seems to be a combination of minerals. I suspect it is a Chlorite with Quartz. I am taking the mystery green rock to the Seaman Mineral Museum to see if I can get a better identification.

Another interesting rock was a Rhodonite that had flowing pastel blues throughout it. You can certainly find Rhodonite today, but I usually see it with black inclusions, not pastel blue!

Pastel colors abound in this Rhodonite.

Pastel colors abound in this Rhodonite.

I expect this is Prehnite with Copper Inclusions is similar to the Patricianite we find in the Keweenaw.

I expect this is Prehnite with Copper Inclusions is similar to the Patricianite we find in the Keweenaw.

John also had a copper-included rock similar to the Patricianite found in the Keweenaw, but not as pretty as the Keweenaw material. I had not seen the copper-included rocks in Canada, so this was interesting to me.

I found flower type formations in Calcite, as well as other, what I suspect, is Prehnite flowers in another rock. These are pretty and intriguing. I can’t keep my saws and grinders going fast enough!

I suspect these are Prehnite Flowers.

I suspect these are Prehnite Flowers.

These flowers are in Calcite.  I have not figured out what these red, Canadian, included material is.

These flowers are in Calcite. I have not figured out what these red, Canadian, included material is.

John and I hit is off, so I expect I will go rock hunting with him next spring. I’m looking forward to finding new and unusual rocks in the Canadian wilds.