Encyclopedia--Non-Turquoise Stones

@Stracci thanks! :grinning: The shop said they’d only seen any that colorful a time or two. Most of them were more blacks, greys, whites, and browns. I just think incredibly cool that fossils survive and mutate, for lack of a better word, and can look like this.

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Example: Check out Raffirusa.com. Mammoth tooth is processed using pressure and resins. IMHO the color is added from the processing since mammoth is not old enough to be petrified where there is a mineral exchange. Google mammoth tooth slice. See what is being sold.

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Hi @Xtina. I was told that mine is natural colored from the chemical interaction between the tooth and the matrix in which it fossilizes. But I’ve also read that because these fossils are somewhat fragile, they are stabilized and color is added…so I’m unsure, if mine is colored.
I found an example of the naturally blue color:

Thanks @Steve… you’re response makes sense😊

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Ah, I see. I was unaware that they made block of this, and I will be disappointed if that’s what it is. I expected it was likely stabilized since it’s (supposedly!) a fossil and maybe some color added (which I went with since a couple the other normal colored pieces had some mild streaks of red/blue in them) and this was from a reputable shop that doesn’t deal in imitations. The pieces do have striations, ridges, crags, and appear to be un-uniform enough in color and surface (isn’t block usually smooth?) that I believed it was real, even if a bit enhanced. Thanks for making me aware @StevesTrail. I’m going to see if I can get more information or someone knowledgeable to look them over. I’m prepared for them to be a little tinkered with, but not fake, and I’d like my money back if they are.

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Keep us posted @Xtina .

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I completely forgot about this thread; thanks for resurrecting it.

I forgot about these 2. Kewa necklace is jet, and the Mary Marie Yazzie Lincoln ring is onyx. I bought the necklace at the Eiteljorg Indian Art Market years ago, and don’t remember the artist. I was wanting an all black necklace, and was attracted to the off center bead. The artist told me she was making it late at night, and realized she had forgotten to put the bead in the center. She got annoyed, and then thought maybe someone would like it that way. She was laughing the whole time she was telling me.

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That’s a great jet necklace and a pretty piece of turquoise that she offset on the side. Goes well with your onyx ring!

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Thanks! I don’t wear either a lot. The necklace tends to slide due to one side being heavier (but I still love it), and I have occasional eczema issues on my fingers (other than my first finger) so rings can irritate it. Unfortunately that ring doesn’t fit on my first one. But I did wear it yesterday! My nephew, who is now a National Park Superintendent, years ago worked at the Department of the Interior in DC, and I got the ring in the gift shop there. I wish I could remember who made the necklace, but I don’t have the receipt :worried:

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The jet and turquoise heishi that I have is attributed to Daniel Coriz. I realized after my last post that your ring is Mary Marie! That’s awesome! I was lusting over a cuff of hers about a year ago. As you probably already know, she is the sister of Lee and Raymond Yazzie.
You said she in reference to the necklace—maybe Daniel’s mother Nestoria Coriz. I have several pieces by her. :blue_heart:

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Thanks for the suggestions. I bought it about 7 years ago, but I might be able to look up the past markets, and see if I can find names of the artists that participated.

I first had a coral ring by Marie Marie that I bought out west somewhere. One of the stones fell out, because someone local said I could reshape the flattened band by pushing it down a ring sizer. Unfortunately that loosened the stone. Hard lesson learned. Then a Native gentleman that I purchased something from at the Eiteljorg Market waaaaaay back took it to fix. Unfortunately he lost it; he said he sent it to the wrong person. So he tried to make a similar ring to replace it, but I never really liked it as well, and donated it to a silent auction. Then a few years later I found this one exactly the same but in onyx, which I actually like better, at the Department of the Interior.

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Had to share this one tonight. It reminds me of the Aroura Borealis which have frequently visited Central Wisconsin this Summer. They were out again last night and strating to show tonight.
Purchased from a somewhat new, local friend. She has been selling many of her jewelry making supplies and rocks over the past few years.
This is technically called Rainbow Obsidian. It reminds me of the Northern Lights.
This knife has a 4” blade.
I was picking up some other items from her and she brought out a box of things she had not listed. I got this and about 24 other things for an additional $20.

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What a story @Ziacat, certainly wasn’t funny but you had me chuckling, what could happen next😆. Marie Marie does beautiful stone work. I have a coral ring and coral earrings by Mary Marie,
quite different from yours. Maybe your cluster ring was similar to my earrings?

,

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Yes it is. This is it…to me it looks like your earrings.


And the first one I had was coral like your earrings (but round, same as my onyx one).

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