Polishing Makes Stone into a Star - Michigan › documents ›...

POLISHING MAKES STONE INTO A STAR T he state gem — the greenstone — isn’t exactly a dazzler, at least at first sight. “They’re just ugly little green nuggets,” said Ken Flood, an Upper Peninsula gemologist whose specialty is cutting and polishing greenstones. “When you polish them up, though, you’d be amazed at the turtleback pattern — it’s beautiful.” And incredibly old. The stones were created about a billion years ago — by volcanoes that helped form part of what is now the western Upper Peninsula, said Steve Wilson, a state geologist. The molten lava solidified, creating rocks riddled with holes. Later, dissolved minerals passing through the rock caused fine fibrous crystals to grow at the edge of the holes. They radiated inwards and intersected, forming a turtleback pattern. The stones became a favorite prey of rock hounds and divers who scoured the beaches and coastal waters of Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. “You used to be able to find greenstones the size of golf balls,” said Smitty Parratt, Isle Royale’s chief interpreter. “Now you’re lucky to find them the size of small gravel.” After park rangers noticed how the island’s minerals were disappearing, the laws were tightened, and in 1998 the park banned the removal of any rocks or minerals from either the island or its waters. Flood, the owner of Keweenaw Gem & Gift in Houghton, has been buying greenstones for 20 years, and now he gets his best ones from individuals and museums that have old collections. But old stones are disappearing, too. “It’s getting hard to find these big stones — the 1-inch and 1.5-inch greenstones we used to find,” he said. He sold one last summer for $600, not including the cost of the gold mounting. Rock hounds still comb the Keweenaw Peninsula’s old copper mines for greenstones, and still find a lot, but they tend to be smaller and of poorer quality. But there’s hope. Even now, the sleeping stones are being freed by erosion from the bedrock below Lake Superior, said Parratt. “They’ll sort of regenerate over time, which is exciting,” he said. “They’ll get washed downstream, and storm waves will push them up on shore.” Someday. By Patricia Chargot Our state symbols PHOTO FROM THE A.E. SEAMAN MINERAL MUSEUM Chlorastrolite (klor-ASS-troe-lite) literally means “green star stone.” Also known as the greenstone, it’s quite beautiful when polished.

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Transcript of Polishing Makes Stone into a Star - Michigan › documents ›...

POLISHINGMAKES STONEINTO A STAR

The state gem — thegreenstone — isn’t exactly adazzler, at least at first

sight.“They’re just ugly little green

nuggets,” said Ken Flood, an UpperPeninsula gemologist whosespecialty is cutting and polishinggreenstones.

“When you polish them up,though, you’d be amazed at theturtleback pattern — it’sbeautiful.”

And incredibly old.The stones were created about

a billion years ago — by volcanoesthat helped form part of what isnow the western Upper Peninsula,said Steve Wilson, a stategeologist.

The molten lava solidified,creating rocks riddled with holes.Later, dissolved minerals passingthrough the rock caused finefibrous crystals to grow at theedge of the holes. They radiatedinwards and intersected, forming aturtleback pattern.

The stones became a favoriteprey of rock hounds and divers whoscoured the beaches and coastalwaters of Isle Royale National Park

in LakeSuperior.

“You used tobe able to findgreenstonesthe size of golfballs,” said Smitty Parratt, IsleRoyale’s chief interpreter. “Nowyou’re lucky to find them the sizeof small gravel.”

After park rangers noticed howthe island’s minerals weredisappearing, the laws weretightened, and in 1998 the parkbanned the removal of any rocksor minerals from either the islandor its waters.

Flood, the owner of KeweenawGem & Gift in Houghton, has beenbuying greenstones for 20 years,and now he gets his best onesfrom individuals and museumsthat have old collections. But oldstones are disappearing, too.

“It’s getting hard to find these

big stones — the 1-inchand 1.5-inch greenstoneswe used to find,” he said.

He sold one lastsummer for $600, notincluding the cost of the

gold mounting.Rock hounds still comb the

Keweenaw Peninsula’s old coppermines for greenstones, and stillfind a lot, but they tend to besmaller and of poorer quality.

But there’s hope.Even now, the sleeping stones

are being freed by erosion from thebedrock below Lake Superior, saidParratt.

“They’ll sort of regenerate overtime, which is exciting,” he said.“They’ll get washed downstream,and storm waves will push themup on shore.”

Someday.

By Patricia Chargot

Our state symbols

PHOTO FROM THE A.E. SEAMAN MINERAL MUSEUMChlorastrolite (klor-ASS-troe-lite) literally means “greenstar stone.” Also known as the greenstone, it’s quitebeautiful when polished.

MARMADUKE By Brad Anderson

SHERMAN’S LAGOON By Jim Toomey

NON SEQUITUR By Wiley

MR. BOFFO By Joe Martin

JUMP START By Robb Armstrong

BLONDIE By Dean Young and Denis Lebrun

SALLY FORTH By Steve Alaniz and Francesco Marciuliano

FOXTROT By Bill Amend

LUANN By Greg Evans

ZITS By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

GET FUZZY By Darby ConleyFOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE By Lynn Johnston

EDGE CITY By Terry & Patty LaBan