Hey! That looks like a....

As I'm going through some things to buy, I'm noticing more and more how so many specimens looks like other objects. I own a piece that loosely looks like the shape of florida, one like a pair of lungs, one a melted candle, one like branches and one like the letter P, for example. So far, the piece for sale I've seen look like a heart with arteries, a sea bed of little coral polyps and pearls, a mountain top with green vegetation hanging off or lichen, flower seed pods, mushrooms, fungus or mold, and even round tumours!
I'd love to post pics of those, but since I don't own them (yet), I don't know if that would be frowned upon.


Pair of lungs

Melted candles

Branches

What pieces do you own that look like something else?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2010 03:16AM by Willow Craig.

Hi Willow,

These are called "mimetoliths". I think you would find the link and information below very interesting.

enjoy (:D

[www.cst.cmich.edu]

Thanks for that, Stephanie, I've never heard the term before! Do you have any to show?

Hi Willow,

This Quartz/Actinolite on matrix of mine is called (the microscope), strangely enough it's also well over 300mm high or 30cm/12"

I also have some others I will photograph soon to show you.





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2010 02:50AM by Craig Mercer.

Hi Willow,

Yes, I will try and get some photos when I am able, might take a few days...

I'm sure you will see other postings in the meantime...

Craig, thanks for the cool "microscope" !!! (:D

steph

C'mon, Craig, you post an awesome little thing like that and don't even tell me what mineral it is? :p For shame! It's beautiful.

ah yes, the feather Moldavite... one of my faves of yours Craig...

steph

Valentines Day Specularite - Beckermet Iron Mine, Cumbria

Now that's an awesome piece, Neil!

Asterated quartz resembling african native.
Good luck
Boris

Okay, how about this Aragonite "snake":

[www.mindat.org]

or this Calcite "pagoda"

[www.mindat.org]

or a Cryptomelane Baobab tree:

[www.mindat.org]

or a pyrite "arrow":

[www.mindat.org]

or a tornado made of growth interference quartz:

[www.mindat.org]

or an "anteater" (quartz with hematite, Guangdong, China):



and finally, man's best friend, the Orange River quartz "dog":



Would love to see more!

Nik Nikiforou

Wow, what cool images!! I think my favorite so far is the Cryptomelane/Baobab, fantastic!

Here is my contribution: tiny xls, maybe 7 mm in size from the Laytonville Quarry in California.

The first photo is of the wolf, the second is the wolf in context.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2010 11:27PM by Corie Mattar.

I have these Calcite "barnacles" on Marcasite to add to the show. Prinzipal Mine, Herja,Baia Mare, Marmures, Romania. 6.5cm x 3.5cm

...so I managed to steal some time and take a few quick pics of some I had handy... I can only do 3 per post, so I am going to start with my favourite, with 2 profiles.

"Aerosub"

Sand calcite xls (no glue!) from Rattlesnake Butte, Jackson Co, South Dakota
approx 45mm long by 25mm high

side A



side B

Stephanie, that is AWESOME! :D

here are a few more for now...

first one, a self collected beach stone from Bayfield, Ontario (Lake Huron).
matrix approx 45mm, fossil approx 12mm

"Coralien" - Coral fossils are among us.



"Turtle Dove" A turtle poking out of its shell or a nesting bird? You decide.
approx 55mm x 55mm
Smokey and Spessartines on Feldspar from Fujian Province, China



"Z'ed" - this one looks like a blend of a bearded ZZ Top band member wearing shades, with the cigar chomping Ed the Sock.
Topaz thumbnail.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2010 06:39AM by Stephanie Martin.

LOL - great thread -

Craig - you can post that moldavite as often as you like! Alternately, you can post it to me! ;)

M

Here is a neat specimen we had awhile back - it is a pseudocubic quartz crystal cluster "schnauzer"! Unfortunately the only pictures I have are these two somewhat blurry images, but you can still get the idea. In person it was absolutely tremendous - it was a three dimensional figure that resembled a crystal sculpture!

This specimen was also pretty neat....


Locality: Mahodari, Nasik District, Maharashtra, India


A cryptocrystalline fluorite "caterpillar" on a matrix of sharp quartz points, atop a layer of translucent grayish chalcedony. The fluorite measures approximately 9.5cm. I am very proud to say that this specimen now shares a home with the well-known (and admitedly much cuter) "Lavinsky Bear" in the Charlotte Sussman Collection (Suite of Animal-Like Specimens) Jasun McAvoy photo.

I think this specimen was the only one that I have uploaded that has been selected for the "pic of the day".