Curiosities

Queensland Fossil Plants – Dicotyledon and Others – Redbank Plains Formation – 45 Million Years

A nice slab of carbonaceous shale showing numerous preserved plants from the middle Eocene era – circa 45 million years ago – a period regraded as the “dawn of modern life”.

Fossils were found in the Redbank Plains area as early as 1900 by settlers. Most of the sites have been built out which makes the having of specimens all that more cherishable.

A good example 19.0cm by 16.0cm, 3.0cm deep, weighing 1,180gms

Earliest examples of Australian modern plants – if that makes sense.

$65.00

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Atacamite [Copper Chloride] – Mt Gunson Mine – Western Australia

A nice cabinet sized piece of WA Atacamite, copper chloride or copper oxychloride.

It is named after the Atacama Dessert in South America where it occurs.

A pretty example with a mixture of fine micro-crystals and a more granular mass.

The strong green colour was widely used in circa15thC in devotional publications, frescos etc.

A good example with a strong and even dark green colouring both sides. 9.0cm by 6.0cm, 2.0cm deep, weighing 95.0gm

Atacamite in good form.

SORRY ON HOLD

$35.00

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Rhodonite [Manganese Silicate] – Tamworth, New South Wales

A nice lump of Rhodonite [Greek for Rose] from the old Manganese mine north of Tamworth in New South Wales. Whilst generally described a Manganese Silicate it contains, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium as well as the aforementioned Manganese.

This example, cleaved and polished to reveal its beauty is of massive fine-grained form with few larger crystal forms around the uncut surface.

The black inclusions are manganese oxide.

Rhodonite has special properties in the love and forgiveness department if you get that. We can see why it is a pretty mineral.

A good nicely layered example 9.0cm by 6.0cm, 4.0cm deep, weighing 354.0gm

Shiny Black Mica from the Northern Territory.

$35.00

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Fossil Fern – Lune River Tasmania – Early Jurassic Forest circa 182 million years old.

A nice slice of petrified tree fern from the Lune River area deep in the southern reached of Tasmania.

The dating of the examples in this location to the middle of the early Jurassic Period (182 Ma) was by isotopic measurements on zircons found in the volcanic sandstone hosting the fossils (Bromfield et al 2007). Also refer the excellent guide by P. Manchester.

Weighing 70gm and 16cm by 5cm.

This region is the area of the world where these plants developed. Twelve tree paratypes (arborescent) ferns and one bracken-like (rhizomatous) fern have been studied in the region. All of the tree ferns belong to the genus Osmundacaulis. This example shows clear and tight trachioles

These plants evolved in this region, the Australian portion of Pangea, all that time ago. Gradually they have spread elsewhere and appear in North-west USA … examples were only discovered in Eurasia in the year 2000.

Nice part section of a fossil tree fern from Jurassic Tasmania .

$60.00

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Chrysocolla [Copper Silcate] – Kumarina – Western Australia

Chrysocolla, such a beautiful colouring. A hydrated copper silicate from the oxidation zone around copper deposits. Likely from the Peak Hill’s region Kumarina copper mine which closed down in the 1970’s.

A beautifully example 8.0cm by 6.5cm, 2.0cm deep, weighing 130.0gm

Chrysolcolla a nice Western Australian example

$30.00

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Queensland Mineral – Rain Forest Jasper [Spherulitic Rhyolite] from the Mount Hay Volcano

Mount Hay is to the west of Rockhampton in Queensland. It is an extinct volcano and it was the volcanic environment that gave rise to this unique form of rhyolite. It is called rainforest jasper because of the rainforest like colour palette.

The underlying rock form is high in silicon and the long cooling process from the volcanic activity allowed for numerous inclusions of quartz, chalcedony etc.

A sizeable example 14.0cm by 9.0cm, 1.0cm deep, weighing 390gm

Striking Mount Hay Jasper – a nice piece

$50.00

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Queensland Fossil Plants – Dicotyledon and Others – Redbank Plains Formation – 45 Million Years

Atacamite [Copper Chloride] – Mt Gunson Mine – Western Australia

Rhodonite [Manganese Silicate] – Tamworth, New South Wales

Fossil Fern – Lune River Tasmania – Early Jurassic Forest circa 182 million years old.

Chrysocolla [Copper Silcate] – Kumarina – Western Australia

Queensland Mineral – Rain Forest Jasper [Spherulitic Rhyolite] from the Mount Hay Volcano

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