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Roughing It III

Under Construction
by Bob's Rock Shop

My friend and hiking buddy Tom Bielejec shares an appreciation of fossils, and he has demonstrated a proclivity towards dinosaur parts in particular. I've been softening up and priming Tom for several years now with several expeditions to the Painted Desert and Grand Canyon as well as the Tucson Show. Tom doesn't know it yet but I think I just about have him ready to approach with the idea of coming with on some deep hikes into the Painted Desert to look for a Coelophysis, an early theropod dinosaur from Carnian and Norian time during the Late Triassic which is believed to have lived in family groups and hunted in packs.

Above left, Tom checks out one of several tables loaded with Utah and Colorado dino bone at the Wades Wood & Rocks tent at the Mineral and Fossil Marketplace.

Shown above right and at left are overviews of dino bone specimens on the table Tom was studying. Most of this material is from undetermined animals. Dino bone is a highly prized and sought after material for lapidary work. Top gem quality dino bone can certainly hold its own with just about any other kind of material in the aesthetics department, and of course it has the additional cool factor of being the fossilized remains of a once living dinosaur.

Above left and right, 5.5 inches overall, 1.9 pounds, $500

Above left and right, 3 inches overall, 10 ounces, $20

Above left and right, 3 1/4 inches overall, 14 ounces, $95

The piece shown in hand above left and right picked my friend and hiking buddy Tom to go home with. It is about 2 1/2 inches overall, weighs in at approximately 10 ounces, and relieved $50 from Tom's 2004 Grand Canyon hiking budget. Not to fret Tom, I'll bring all the trial mix you can carry...

Above left and right, 3 inches overall, 14 ounces $25. This one went home with me.

Above left and right, 5 inches overall, 1.6 pounds, $35. This one went home with me.

Above left and right, 6 inches overall, 3 pounds, $1000.

Above left and right, 3 inches overall, 1.8 pounds, $30. This one went home with me.

Vertebrae. 6 inches overall, 4.9 pounds, $500.

A quarter helps provide scale for the pair of vertebrae pictured at left and below. The larger of the pair is about 2 1/2 inches across and weighs approximately 1.0 pounds. The smaller weighs approximately .5 pounds. The pair was commanding $2500.

Wades Wood & Rocks Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show at the Mineral and Fossil Marketplace (1333 North Oracle Road) - Email: wadesrocks@yahoo.com 1160 East San Juan Drive, Moab, Utah 84532 - Phone: 435.259.5904

Need more input? For additional information on gemstones and lapidary materials be sure and check out the Books about Gemstones and Books about Lapidary in the References for Rockhounds catalog at Bob's Rock Shop!

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