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4.3" Kansas Amber (Jelinite) Specimen "Holy Grail Of Kansas Minerals"
This is a phenomenal amber (Jelinite) specimen that was collected from the Kiowa Formation of Ellsworth County, Kansas. Only a very small amount of this material was collected, prior to the only location being flooded by a reservoir in 1949. This makes it some of the rarest amber in the world.
In fact this exact specimen was referred to as the Holy Grail Of Kansas Minerals in this post.
It exhibits a vibrant yellow-orange coloration and is surprisingly light in weight, for its size. It is Lower Cretaceous in age, meaning it's roughly 125 million years old! Portions of this Jelinite specimen have been stabilized with glue to prevent further cracking and/or chipping.
Comes with an acrylic display stand and information card holder.
In fact this exact specimen was referred to as the Holy Grail Of Kansas Minerals in this post.
It exhibits a vibrant yellow-orange coloration and is surprisingly light in weight, for its size. It is Lower Cretaceous in age, meaning it's roughly 125 million years old! Portions of this Jelinite specimen have been stabilized with glue to prevent further cracking and/or chipping.
Comes with an acrylic display stand and information card holder.
Jelinite is a rare fossil resin that was once collected within the Smoky Hills physiographic province of north-central Kansas. While there is evidence of early Kansas settlers using the stones from this site for weapons and tools, the first documented discovery of the site and the resin was by of the politician and archeologist George Jelinek in 1937-38. This resin was originally known as "kansasite", but was later renamed Jelinite in honor of Jelinek.
The rocks surrounding the Jelinite formations were deposited on or near the sea floor during the Cretaceous Period. The tree resin was topped by layers of sandstone and limestone. Within these sandstone layers, impressions of leaves have been found that indicate the common trees of Ellsworth County during this time period were trees similar to modern willow, poplar, oak, sarsaparillas, sassafras, magnolias and laurel. The environment of Ellsworth County during the Cretaceous Period was much warmer and wetter, providing a favorable environment for these trees to thrive. This was during a time when much of western Kansas was under water, meaning the portions of Kansas that weren't underwater were considered coastal.
When this site was collectable, it was located along the Smoky Hill River in Ellsworth County, Kansas. Following periodic flooding of the river as a result of excessive rainfall, as well as the increasing population of the area, a dam commenced construction in 1948 to avoid further natural disasters. This dam created a reservoir known as the Kanopolis Reservoir. By 1949, this reservoir covered the initial Jelinite site in water, only later to be buried by a landslide. Occasional resin finds around the area have been reported, but they are considered to be extremely rare.
Jelinite is quite brittle: it has a hardness of only 3 on the Mohs hardness scale and displays conchoidal to uneven fracturing. Under long wave UV light, it exhibits bluish-green fluorescence. The basic chemical formula of Jelinite is C10H16O + (H2S), but this varies depending on the present impurities.
The rocks surrounding the Jelinite formations were deposited on or near the sea floor during the Cretaceous Period. The tree resin was topped by layers of sandstone and limestone. Within these sandstone layers, impressions of leaves have been found that indicate the common trees of Ellsworth County during this time period were trees similar to modern willow, poplar, oak, sarsaparillas, sassafras, magnolias and laurel. The environment of Ellsworth County during the Cretaceous Period was much warmer and wetter, providing a favorable environment for these trees to thrive. This was during a time when much of western Kansas was under water, meaning the portions of Kansas that weren't underwater were considered coastal.
When this site was collectable, it was located along the Smoky Hill River in Ellsworth County, Kansas. Following periodic flooding of the river as a result of excessive rainfall, as well as the increasing population of the area, a dam commenced construction in 1948 to avoid further natural disasters. This dam created a reservoir known as the Kanopolis Reservoir. By 1949, this reservoir covered the initial Jelinite site in water, only later to be buried by a landslide. Occasional resin finds around the area have been reported, but they are considered to be extremely rare.
Jelinite is quite brittle: it has a hardness of only 3 on the Mohs hardness scale and displays conchoidal to uneven fracturing. Under long wave UV light, it exhibits bluish-green fluorescence. The basic chemical formula of Jelinite is C10H16O + (H2S), but this varies depending on the present impurities.
SPECIES
Amber
LOCATION
Ellsworth County, Kansas
FORMATION
Kiowa Formation
SIZE
4.3 x 2.5"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#113137
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