Changing Colors

[rock]

I found this point in 2015 when I 1st found it it was a tan. After the day went on I looked at it again and it changed colors to the green and brown. Now this is the new color which is a black and brown in 2017. I like the new color better than the other so Im not complaining. If you have ever had a color change in a artifact and have the pictures before and after Id like to see them, rock

 

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[sandchip]

Good looking point, whatever color it is.

 

[Cameronstrause]

I had something like this happen with shark teeth. Never an arrowhead though! Very interesting and nice find!

 

[arrow86]

Sweet point in any color .... I have one that has changed a bit ... Iv heard the oils from our skin can cause this . I'll have to see if the pics show the changes I'll post them if they do.

 

[redbeardrelics]

Cool point Rock, and yes I have had a few change color on me. I remember one in particular where I found a chert scraper, nothing special except the color was an odd but attractive aqua green, which sorta excited me. After rinsing it off and possessing it for a few days it changed to common and unimpressive grey. I am blaming it on the rock, not on my poor eyesight, or wild imagination. My story, and I'll stick to it. HH

 

[Riverbum]

Hello,
I believe it could be from simple handling without gloves. I 've handled plenty of them without gloves and noticed the sheen and color changing in some of them. The Mineral it was made of might also pick up body oils from your hands.

 

[monsterrack]

The stone changes color due to the lack of water if is was a creek find. You have to think that it has been in and out of water for 1,000 of years. All stone as micro size holes in it and it will fill with water and when you find it an take it out of the water an place it in a case it dries out and will change color to our eyes. Here is a perfect example this points was found in a creek and at the time of the find I took the 1st photo. The 2nd photo I just took and it's been in a case for years now. Body oils will only give it a shine an make colors stand out more and some folks do oil their points to keep better color and a shine.

 

[joshuaream]

It happens with some flints and agates. If you are willing to soak them in water for a long period of time, you can usually get back that color. Often the color is simply a frosted patina/haze that comes back as it dries. Occasionally it's a thin layer of algea slime that dries up and simply changes the way light refracts or bounces off a rock.

Here is a Clovis point that exhibited the color change within a week or two of being found. (Not my find, I haven't been that blessed.)

 

[olroy70]

that thing is full of radium.......send it to me before you get radiation sickness!!!

 

[scruggs]

Very nice point!

 

[Mark Todd]

Sweet point in any color .... I have one that has changed a bit ... Iv heard the oils from our skin can cause this . I'll have to see if the pics show the changes I'll post them if they do.

Yes it is correct that oils and or salts or the combination thereof can result in the color change of various cherts.
The following picture is of an archaic point that the finder wore mounted on a necklace for several years. He told me that when he found it, it was all off white Burlington Chert. After wearing it for several years, some of it turned a deep tannish brown...

 

[rock]

Mine stays under glass but away from the sun light. I have handled it a bit but not a lot in the past 2 years.

 

[Trezurehunter]

That's a great looking point. Maybe it was made out of chameleon stone !

 

[rock]

That's a great looking point. Maybe it was made out of chameleon stone !

There is a flint that appears in the creek from time to time. Its a brown flint which has black inside of it usually in chunks when you find it. Im guessing that is the flint its made from I have a few made from that type I have found. Thanks for the comments on it like I said its one of my best imo.

 

[DigIron2]

I have never had that happen before..Nice piece

 

[shadrickhunt]

That's some fine stuff. A person got to have good eye searching creeks!

 

[rock]

That's some fine stuff. A person got to have good eye searching creeks!

Its a blast once you learn how to do it.

 

[DigIron2]

That's some fine stuff. A person got to have good eye searching creeks!

Never know in creeks. Have not personally found a whole lot in them but a couple of my nicest points have came out of creeks. Little tougher on the eye then land hunting imo, considering you are mostly looking for rocks among rocks. They are a blast and very tranquil to hunt ,

 

[rock]

Never know in creeks. Have not personally found a whole lot in them but a couple of my nicest points have came out of creeks. Little tougher on the eye then land hunting imo, considering you are mostly looking for rocks among rocks. They are a blast and very tranquil to hunt ,

Then you have to train your eyes to look in the current and also the 2nd layer of the gravel. If the cobbles are decent size you can see bits to the 2nd and 3rd layer without moving the cobbles. I scan the surface then go slow scanning the layers.