GeneralAnesthetic Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I peer into a small geode at 80x to look at what look like small blooms of crystals covering bulbous blue crystal mounds. Originally I wanted to see why the geode had white crystal patches on one side and the top side had darker spots. First I see that the "blooms" are actually super small stones that look to be growing their own crystals. I had to look further, I wasn't sure if the geode was opened when I chipped it free from the breccia or if had been open while it was encased. The crystallization was perfectly clean, so I surmise it was. Either way, how in the world does a geode crystallize and then later adopt a speckling of microscopic stones? So, I'm looking over the surface and there is this anomaly. does not match any of the features inside the geode. I look closer and it appears to have, internal organs, segmented legs, and antennae. Could this really be some type of shrimp? Or similar crustacean? I'm really curious to hear what you all think. Hopefully the images suffice, I have a biological microscope so it is not the best at 3D. Posterior Head/Antennae I know I've been looking at a screen all day, but this sure looks like a segmented/armored leg. And, I'm spent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I thing the geode was open and some critter took up residence. Looks like a molt casing to me. The stones look like dirt. Others will weigh in, but that's my take on it. 2 Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I'm not so sure about your shrimp theory, but as far as the question about the occurrence of the microscopic stones goes, don't forget that the crystals evolved out of a super-saturated liquid. If you observe the microscopic stones, you can see that they were there first, since the crystals grew on them, which means that the stones probably dislodged from the walls of the geode and were floating around beforehand. 6 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 All I see in Your pictures are different types of minerals/crystals. Not all crystals are quartz (clear hexagonal), many will form botryoidal masses. No insect, no shrimp and no "dirt". 2 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Ynot is right (again). Reread your post and realized I misread it the first time. Thought you said you were not sure if the geode was open when you collected it. So much for the easy/obvious explanation of contamination. All that is left is crystallization - no matter how funky the crystals look. Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 9 hours ago, GeneralAnesthetic said: I chipped it free from the breccia Geodes are not typically found associated with "brecca" type rock. Can You post a picture of the whole piece? Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caldigger Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Your stones look like pyrite to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 2 hours ago, caldigger said: Your stones look like pyrite to me. You have a point there. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I see the remains of an insect there. How it got there is anyone's guess, but the possible pyrite and other micro-crystals are not a mystery. They got there the same way the main crystals got there. Crystals often will have other crystals growing on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralAnesthetic Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 7 hours ago, caldigger said: Your stones look like pyrite to me. Nothing in this post resembles any pyrite I've ever seen. I should have said that I didn't think it was a shrimp or insect of any kind. I just didn't understand what it could be. Moreover, it appears to be a whole lot more unique than any other crystal I've seen, a lot like a shrimp.And I've seen a couple here and there And quite honestly I have yet to see much by the way of photography of the three dimensional surface of encapsulated spaces. Who knows what's going on at that level? Help me out, show me. I'm welcome to info in any form. 9 hours ago, ynot said: All I see in Your pictures are different types of minerals/crystals. Not all crystals are quartz (clear hexagonal), many will form botryoidal masses. No insect, no shrimp and no "dirt". Exactly the definition I was looking for. Helps a ton! Thank you! I will still be looking to identify crystal composition and get better images of the crystal booger. 7 hours ago, ynot said: Geodes are not typically found associated with "brecca" type rock. Can You post a picture of the whole piece? Shortly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralAnesthetic Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 9 minutes ago, jpc said: I see the remains of an insect there. How it got there is anyone's guess, but the possible pyrite and other micro-crystals are not a mystery. They got there the same way the main crystals got there. Crystals often will have other crystals growing on them. Makes sense, I think better images will help. If I need to I will go to the lab at school to use their scope. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralAnesthetic Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 I should point out that there is a whole lot of pyrite in the crystallization patterns at the whole site. BINGO! Still gonna try for better images but I believe this is the closest reasonable explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralAnesthetic Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 Never seen such a translucent form of pyrite. Round no less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 58 minutes ago, GeneralAnesthetic said: BINGO! Still gonna try for better images but I believe this is the closest reasonable explanation. No "bingo" as far as I can see. The sizes do not correlate with You piece. The others were saying the dark clumps look like pyrite. They could be correct, especially since You said it is a common mineral in the area. The clear tinted object does not show the correct textures for an insect carapace, but does fit with many minerals. It could be a shed from an insect, but I do not see it as such from the pictures provided. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Fascinating thread! I love the crystals growing on the "dirt." I have never seen or even thought about that before. I see an insect molt as well. If I read this correctly, the molt was found on the exterior of the geode? Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 2 minutes ago, GeschWhat said: the exterior of the geode? Still waiting for a picture of the whole piece to determine that. 5 days and counting. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 10 minutes ago, GeschWhat said: Fascinating thread! I love the crystals growing on the "dirt." I have never seen or even thought about that before. I see an insect molt as well. If I read this correctly, the molt was found on the exterior of the geode? Whatever it is, the OP indicated it is inside the geode. When he first posted, I understood him to say he was not sure if the geode was open when he collected it and I took the easy answer - that it was contaminated on the inside with a molt casing and some specks of dirt (he was looking at everything under a microscope which, in this case, may not be that helpful). But apparently that is not the case. If it was closed when he collected it, it is not a molt casing or dirt specks. And as Ynot said, I have never heard of a geode associated with breccia, which Google defines as "rock consisting of angular fragments cemented together". Everything is generated through your own will power ~ Ray Bradbury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeschWhat Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 14 minutes ago, Walt said: Whatever it is, the OP indicated it is inside the geode. When he first posted, I understood him to say he was not sure if the geode was open when he collected it and I took the easy answer - that it was contaminated on the inside with a molt casing and some specks of dirt (he was looking at everything under a microscope which, in this case, may not be that helpful). But apparently that is not the case. If it was closed when he collected it, it is not a molt casing or dirt specks. And as Ynot said, I have never heard of a geode associated with breccia, which Google defines as "rock consisting of angular fragments cemented together". This makes me want to get some of those cheap geodes and crack them open so I can take a peak under the scope. Lori www.areallycrappystory.com/fossils www.facebook.com/fossilpoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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