Gemstone turns out to be Fossil

[Sheldon J]

From and more photos and story at https://www.geologyin.com/2018/12/gemstone-turns-out-to-be-fossil-of.html?fbclid=IwAR0DlOSFVbPFDyrM75KNr5jBfa5fH9QR92kAR5SL7uKsOLQVmhv-sxdTWeM

Gemstone Turns Out to Be Fossil of an Unknown Dinosaur

A new kelpie-sized dinosaur has been identified in the Lightning Ridge opal fields, 100 million years after it roamed prehistoric floodplains.

A new dinosaur has been added to the more than 700 already named after a chance discovery of a jawbone fragment in a bucket of opal rubble from near Lightning Ridge, New South Wales.

The kelpie-sized reptile, which lived in the Cretaceous Period about 100 million years ago, has been dubbed Weewarrasaurus pobeni — a name that recognises the fossil’s unearthing in the Wee Warra opal field, and honours Mike Poben, an Adelaide-based opal buyer who donated the specimen for research.

Lightning Ridge is the only place in the world where dinosaur bones routinely turn to opal.​

 

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[Jason in Enid]

Cool find. My only question is, what is a "kelpie" that the story uses for size reference?

 

[KANACKI]

Cool find. My only question is, what is a "kelpie" that the story uses for size reference?

A kelpie is sheep dog. Australian working Dog.



Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Although its harder to find opals these days but there is still money to be made for the very ordinary Joe blow willing to work hard hoping to find the big one. Opal mining is hot dangerous work you either love it or hate it.

The radiant Royal One is the most expensive opal in the world. A 68-year-old miner named Bobby brought this precious 306-carat black opal to New York in 2013 for appraisal. He said he found it at the Lightning Ridge mining field in NSW, Australia and kept it to himself for 14 years. It went on sale in Las Vegas for $3 million.



There are guys running around Lightning ridge with ragged old clothes with ass hanging out of their pants with broken down old ute held together with chicken wire band aids and sticky tape. But do not be fooled while some are out on their ass others are loaded.



The Virgin Rainbow may be the third most expensive opal stone but it’s easily the prettiest of all opal gemstones unearthed so far. The play of colors in this gem is just mind-blowing. Though this black crystal opal weighs about 72 carats, it costs a whopping one million dollars.



Kanacki