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I keep finding samples of this rock - which I believe is quartzite because it's hard and crystaline (always fractures along facets) My guess is that the rock was sedimentary to begin with. Many samples I find have back spherical things in them about 1 cm in size. There is some small indication of radial spikes and some appear to have a halo around the perimeter. If they are fossils and not simply geological they might be Ediacaran. These are being found along the shore of the British Columbia mainland north of Vancouver.IMG_0968.CR2 of British Columbia mainland just north of Vancouver, B.C.

I was recently in Park City, Utah, when I collected a few rocks from the dump of the old Thaynes Mine. I thought it was Quartzite at first, but then I did some research on the stratigraphy of the Park City District and began to doubt my assessment. From highest to lowest, the formations of the district are the Ankareh Shale, the Thaynes Limestone, the Woodside Shale, the Park City Limestone, and the Weber Quartzite. I am not certain of this, but I do not think the Thaynes Mine ever entered the Weber Quartzite. However, I did discover that the Park City Limestone contains some Quartzite inclusions, but I'm not sure if the mine even went that deep. Overall, I think that it is either Sandstone of Quartzite, but I'm not sure which, nor am I sure of the parent formation. Any input on this matter would be greatly appreciated. The specimen is a light bluish-grey, hard, fine grained, and has small pockets of carbonate residue in it.

I know this is a bit different than a traditional collecting trip story but... My friends and I have an inside joke that I can accidentally find a fossil anywhere, without any warning. I used to go upstate often, and there were numerous fishing locations with Devonian deposits. As it turned out, the gravel in the parking lot of the cabin we stayed at was from a bluestone quarry that was also fossiliferous. This blue quartzite would follow me around to this day. My best guess is it's from an Ordovician or Devonian deposit from some area north of the Hudson Valley. I have found several different Brachiopods in it, as well as some crinoids and 3 tiny Phacopsid Trilobite fragments. A couple of years ago, I was with a friend at a beach on Long Island. I was collecting shells and rocks, and came across a brachiopod 3 inches wide, right there on the beach. Same bluestone from upstate. Last year, I discovered an urban fishing spot that had recently been renovated has also utilized the same fossiliferous gravel, and I found a few nice brachiopods. More recently, the deposit has hit even closer to me: right on campus, in a new garden, the gravel lining! This has led to my best piece from the deposit yet, even over the phacops: A Brachiopod sitting in the middle of a calcite crystal! If anyone happens to have more information on this deposit, let me know! It shows up quite often around New York, apparently.

My first real fossil show in 13 years. I was asked by my buddy to fill his spot to save it for him. He had an eye problem. But I wont be doing this again. Just too much work even though i still had fun. But I can see now that I wont be going to the quartzite show any more. Just too much driving. But I did sell all the so called 'pine cones' from Morocco. Sold all my theropod teeth. Sold all kinds of other things and it was great to get rid of so much fossil stuff but what amazed me was that I did not see one single crab! Sold 22 or 23 the first two years,,, and this trip,,, not a single one! Oh well, thats how the cookie crumbles. When I was gettting ready for this trip i was going through yet again more boxes I havent been through in 10 to 12 years or so and kept running into sharks teeth. Cant belive how many freakin sharks teeth ive accumulated over the years. Only sold 10 or 11 at the show. Gunna have to put some here on the forum someday at half price just to get rid of them? Along with a bunch of other different things too. Gunna take a few years I think. RB

My son picked up this up in a creek in northern Frederick Co Maryland. He asked if it milky quartz. I checked to make sure it wasn't calcite, it did not fizz with vinegar and it did not get scratched by my pen knife. The orange/red stain is due to the red clay which is common in the area. I checked the geological map and the creek itself showed up as alluvium from the quaternary period and is surrounded by Gettysburg formation from the Triassic period for what it is worth. So is it milky quartz, quartzite, or something else? Thanks Adam