#drusy

[quintessential-candles]

Wasn’t that long ago like maybe an hour at most

MAYBE IT IS TIME FOR A DOCTOR (Don’t know if the typing was like that as a bit or if you are tired but if you are still bleeding from whatever and having trouble typing that’s concerning)

Ooegh hou4

Im Not wllowe dodtris

[flawnle-arts]

Worked on a lot references for ocs. Going to try to put them all on artfight but it entirely depends on my motivation in regards to it but I’m certainly trying.

Quite like all of theses, Drusy and Poli were originally adopts I got on amino(the horror) and I’m happy to have them actually have refs I’m happy with in my own style.

Vivid Timitone was given to me by @purple-to-my-tangerine

[zwampy]

[bufomancer]

possibly! im more of a reptiles type guy, how do you feel about the scaley types? are we inverted? 🤔

I have reptiles as well! 4 of them, plus 2 amphibians. I’m kind of a jack of all trades guy :)

[peachesofteal]

Dad!John Price/female reader This has been living in my head

“Beautiful out, isn’t it?” 

The old woman on the docks hitches her shoulder bag higher, eyes fixed on nothing in the distance. John hums an agreement, low pitch slow to rise from his chest. It’s not a dismissal, but not conversation. Non-committal. About as much as you’ll get from him, on a day like today. 

He keeps his focus on the expanse of the bay. A metamorphic magma layered coastal cradle holding entire populations of people, and animals, those that live on land… and at sea. 

He’s waiting for a fleck of dust on the horizon, a small speck that will slowly turn into ferry, one that carries some passengers, a few packages, bundles of mail by the heap. It is beautiful today; he doesn’t disagree. But it’s not because of the weather.  It’s because the ferry is carrying more than just a few passengers home. It’s carrying his worst nightmare. The final nail in a coffin. His own personal hell.

And… 

His brightest light. His favorite part of everyday. His everything. The reason his heart still beats.

Both on the same boat. 

The sun shines through the tips of the trees, bright on his face, casting an amber yellow glow over the harbor, and he basks in it, even with the brittle cold. 

The warmth of the light is foreign this time year, a time year when creeks all run underneath a quickly thickening layer of ice, morning frost lingers beneath cloud cover, and bears sleep.  

The town will be full of life today. The bar at the top of the hill, the only one in town, will be burning the midnight oil, everyone appearing at some point throughout the night, eager to have one last rousing round with neighbors and friends before the true cold of winter sets in. 

Of course, they don’t hate the cold. They wouldn’t live here if they did. 

Life is different in the winter. Year round. Life here revolves more around the weather and the seasons than anywhere else he’s ever been, or lived, and everything from the kelp to the whales, the deer and sea lions, the people, and the wolves, depend on the promise of perpetual change. 

The tide washes through little pebbles of ancient volcanic rock like a lullaby, one so familiar he swears he can hear it when he’s working, when he’s worlds away in his mind. It’s peaceful, full of memories, nostalgia beating in his blood for something long gone, long past. 

His heart aches, for a moment. Long enough that his brow furrows, and his hands find his pocket, anxiously feeling for the chain. 

The ferry shatters his memories, blaring across the beach, and the old woman gives him a smile. 

“Early today.” This time, John does respond. 

“Good.” 

“You must be John.” She offers her hand, face half hidden beneath a large hood and knit muff, black pants and coat nearly matching his. 

He hesitates, fingers flexing, and she doesn’t miss a beat, moving on to step around him, speaking briefly to the ferry captain, an old grizzled man who stared at John the entire trip, blatant curiosity wrinkling his frown lines. 

The wind cuts through his jacket, snaking beneath his layers, forcing his muscles tense. 

Bloody freezing. He's been cold, plenty, but this bitterness has bite.

She squints and jerks her head towards the end of the dock, sunlight glittering in her eyes. They’re beautiful, a rich shade of coffee and hazel, golden spotted and drusy, a cluster of crystals inside dark pupils. They’re a color he could drown in. The kind of eyes he could see in his dreams for the rest of his life.

The kind of eyes capable of disarming him, before he's even drawn a weapon.

“C’mon. Truck’s got heat.” 

“Mari says you’ve never been a Ranger before.” She tries to make casual conversation with him, patting the steering wheel as the truck sputters to life. Gears grind, they churn, and she smiles, glancing at the road before putting it in gear. It’s old, rusted in a quaint way, the kind that makes him think of old industrial parks and aging tanks, a rugged red chipped away above the passenger wheel well, rubbed raw by salt air. 

“I have… relative experience.” He’s careful with his words, hesitant about over divulging, and she shrugs. 

“With people? Or wildlife?” He points his face out the window. With people, sure. With bears and wolves and whatever else lurks in these woods, less so. 

The truck climbs a windy road, pushing up above the cove, narrow pitted pavement flanked by forest so black he can hardly see a meter inside the tree line. The shadow that lingers inside the tree line is primordial, alive, and he blinks when he thinks he sees something moving, deep in the dark. Douglas fir, silver fir, white pine flash by, occasional road signs with pictures of animals and speed limits dotting the way. “Logging is big industry out here. Forestry feeds a lot of families in this area, but it can be a point of contention.” She motions past him to another cove, one tucked just around the bend from where the ferry came in, its surface covered in shaved logs, all nearly uniform in size, floating together in rows upon rows, waiting for their next voyage. 

“That what you do? Er… logging?” Her hands are rough, skin cracked, nails trimmed short, and the coat is utility. Built for labor. For weather. It’s a natural conclusion. 

“No. I run the nature center in the late spring and summer. No tourism in fall or winter though, so I find other things to do. Work for the park. Tag trees. Winter trail maintenance. Wildlife management.” The truck rattles into a left turn, and she waves at someone in an oncoming car. “Guess I kinda work for you now.” Her chuckle is light, sweet, and his cheeks feel warm. “What brought you all the way up here?” 

Bloody hell. 

“Needed a change of pace.” 

“Long way to come for a change.” She muses, and he agrees. It is very, very far. Three planes, two ferries, this truck. Hours of travel, temperature dropping in ten degree increments every time he stepped outside. He doesn’t know how to answer that, how to tell her, what he’s doing here, how to say he had to leave things behind. 

The island changes, geology shifting, granite turning to mud and grass, darkness fading as the truck putters into its final descent.

He instinctively taps the tags in his pocket, a nervous tic that’s develops over the last few months since he took them off for the last time and clears his throat. 

“Yes. It is.” 

The ferry sidles up the wooden dock, rocking in the waves, captain giving the small, older woman next to him a friendly wave. At his side, a woman stands, straight backed and proud, eyes sharp against the setting sun. 

Is that…

You catch his gaze, glancing at the Ranger badge on his coat, and then nodding, hand lifting in acknowledgement. 

His breath freezes in his chest. You’re stunning. Beautiful, like the land, like the strait, and for a second, he forgets himself. 

Igneous rock hardens in his stomach, in his heart.

He's lost at sea. Lost in the swell. An eddy line of devastation sweeps him out, past the lighthouse on the rocks, past the pod of resident orcas, past the point of no return.

He's drowning.

Only to be brought back by one of his favorite sounds in the entire world. 

“Dad!”

[geologyin-blog]

Polished drusy quartz geode spheres

Photo: Crystalwholesalermay

[phospadparadscha]

My designs for a steven universe / disco elysium crossover! part 1 can be found here with more details and theories.

Harry -> Druzy Quartz Gem, with an agate moss base (yes I know drusy moss doesn't have the rainbow colors of Harry's gem but shhhh), gem placement: back

Kim -> Orange Pearl, gem placement: forehead

Jean -> Aqua Chalcedony, gem placement: right eye

I'll be adding more to this au soon!

[doopcity]

Drusy for @sparkledog

[viendiletto]

«Erimo quei che xe andadi via…»

Ogni tanto dago un’ociada al mio Nuovissimo Palazzi del 1957. Se trata de una vecia abitudine che me gaveva inculcado la mia seconda mama, la professoressa Maria Concetta Viviano in Berti. Ala parola “Esilio” se lege: “Allontanamento volontario o forzato dalla patria”. Ala parola “Esule” corrisponde la definizion: “Chi o che è in esilio”. Un altro dizionario dise, “Esilio”: l’andare volontariamente o il vivere costretti fuori dalla patria”.

Forse tuto questo vol dir che mi non son un esule; in fin dei conti vivo in Patria! Non ve par?

Alora chi xe esule? Noi o lori? Lori, quei che xe rimasti!? Quei che xe rimasti?

Me par che se andèmo a far ‘ste ciacole dopo 70 ani finimo co’l barufarse de novo, e far saltar fora astio e malanimo.

Cossa fèmo? Dimentichemo?

Distiradi sula «rampa de lancio»

Quei dela mia età se trova oramai tuti distiradi sula “rampa de lancio”, puntadi verso l’alto, pronti a far una bela svolada e andar a trovar quei che ga avudo più premura de noi.

Qualche volta me brusa, quando torno a Fiume, e te trovo qualchedun de quei che non xe andadi via proprio perché i genitori, la familia, iera nati là e là i voleva restar. Me brusa pensar che forse un de quei che me parla e ciacola con mi poderìa esser el fio de quel sporco individuo che ga fato conosser, per la prima e l’unica volta in vita sua, la “residenza turistica” de Via Roma (deta: “nikad doma”) al mio povero papà! Un operaio! Un falegname che ga sgobà tuta la vita. Un polaco, arivado a Fiume co’i mìi noni che no’i saveva parlar altro che polaco e tedesco!

Mio padre, “italian convinto”, ga finido la prima guera mondial drento le trincee italiane e nela seconda lurida guera, ala verde età de 48 ani, el xe andà volontario, de novo a combater come un povero zurlo, per noi, per l’Italia!

Fazemo finta de gnente

Mio papà se ga stancà de viver, a Genova. Lontan dala sua Fiume. El dorme un sono eterno drento una picola nichia sula parte più alta del zimitero de Staglieno. El xe, “ossi contro ossi” in una casetiza insieme con la mia mama. Fino al ultimo giorno de vita el ga sempre parlà in fiuman. El ga vissuto una esistenza fata de ricordi. El se insognava sempre de Fiume, del Corso, del Monte Magior, dela sua bela Fiumara dove el gaveva la botega de marangon.

Adesso el dorme un sono senza sogni cussì che no’l core el ris’cio de riveder, tra i fantasmi dela note interminabile, la figura sporca de quel farabuto co’l muso gialo, che lo ga denunzià ai gianizeri de Tito, de esser stado un fervente italian!

Quel stesso mascalzon che, compena arivadi i drusi in zità, el ga cambià distintivo sula patela dela giacheta! El ga butado via el “fassio” per meter sù la “stela rossa!” Quel stesso infame che, da mediocre imbianchin, de colpo el iera diventado un prepotente dirigente in questura! Omo dela OSNA. Dimentichemo! Fazemo finta de gnente.

Una razion extra de patate boide

A mi me bastarà ricordar el forzado, misero turismo fato dal 1945 al 1947 per i campi profughi de tuta la penisola, insieme al caro indimenticado amico Agostino Sirola, nato a Fianona ma fiuman convinto. Cambiàvimo continuamente campo profughi, andando sempre più a sud. Passando per Roma, dove erimo, ogni giorno, “fissi” al Ministero dell’educazione nazionale per saper qualcosa sula apertura del Colegio de Brindisi. A Roma semo stadi diversi mesi nel Campo profughi del Quadraro. Mi ghe insegnavo qualcosa ai muleti dele elementari che era profughi dala Libia e dala Cirenaica e l’Agostino fazeva el sguatero nela cusina del campo. Una razion extra de patate boide e “saltade” non me mancava mai.

Al Collegio «Niccolò Tommaseo»

A tempo debito semo arivadi, primi assoluti, ala famosa Scola de Marina e ultima temporanea residenza bellica dela Accademia Naval de Livorno. Semo arivadi ancora prima che vegnissi zò el Professor Troili. El signor economo e el segretario, signor Cianciaruso, ne ga sistemado àla bona, in una cantina del Colegio dove, per qualche giorno, gavemo dormido su due letini, con la rede de fero ma senza stramazzi.

Spagheti co’l sugo de pomidori

Magnàvimo, in una saleta, vizin la tavola dei ex funzionari dela scola naval, solo a mesogiorno, spagheti co’l sugo de pomidori. De sera: nisba con contorno de stele in un ziel favoloso. Dopo qualche giorno xe arivà el diretor, el Professor Troili, insieme con quatro o cinque muli del “sientifico”. El resto dela ganga xe arivado a scalioni nel arco de un pèr de setimane. In quel meravilioso colegio che portava el nome de Nicolò Tomaseo (qualche nostro mulo, per far la remenàda, diseva che forse se tratava de un zerto Nikola Tomassic’, dalmato, come lo ciamava i titini…) go passado un ano per ciapar el diploma. Go fato la preziosa esperienza dela vita in coletività. E, per mia fortuna, dopo soli zinque mesi, cominziavo la mia vita de maritimo, imbarcado come “mozo”su un rimorciador nel porto de Savona. Una esperienza molto utile per quanto riguardava tuti i lavori manuali de bordo. Ogni tanto el Comandante, un “paron maritimo” meravilioso, el me fazeva far pratica al timon del rimorciador.

La prima nomina de Comandante

Ero veramente felice e contento ma, ogni volta che zurmàvimo ale varie banchine le grosse navi oceaniche, mi me sentivo el còr come una patata boida. Guadagnavo poco ma gavevo vitto e alogio asicuradi fin che, nel giro de un pàr de mesi, go trovà, con l’aiuto de una cara signorina, segretaria presso la più importante agenzia marittima de Savona, la possibilità de imbarcarme adiritura come alievo ufizial su una nave “Liberty” de diecimila tonelate. Squasi non me sentivo più adosso la scorza de profugo o de esule. Me sentivo libero e, son stado tanto fortunado, de restar imbarcado su quela nave per quasi tre ani consecutivi, senza far una licenza e sbarcar con el grado de terzo uficial. Dopo, la mia carriera xe stada limpida e veloce. A bordo gavevo studiado con grande serietà l’inglese el spagnolo e anca el francese. A 27 ani otegnivo la prima nomina de Comandante con la prestigiosa compagnia genovese “La Columbia”.

La mia famiglia, dopo pesanti peripezie e vessazioni quotidiane, ga podudo finalmente scampar de Fiume per finir in un lontan campo profughi vizin l’Aquila, su per le montagne, in un posto che se ciamava Rojo Pineta. Erimo de novo tuti profughi, esuli. Esuli in Patria.

Erimo quei che xe andadi via…

Reneo Lenski

[mineralsrocksandfossiltalks]

Wordplay Wednesday!

Have you ever heard someone refer to quartz as drusy? Did wonder what in the world that meant?

Drusy is a term geologists use for a cavity lined woth a crust of crystals. In other words, it's a fancy eay to describe a geode.

[vpofcookies]

Let's Talk Pyrite Disease

Okay. Pyrite is amazing. Pyrite, or fool’s gold, has a simple formula (FeS2), forms beautiful cubes, and has all sorts of cool features. I'll talk later about how iron minerals can move and change and how they're related to theories about cells, but first, let's talk about Pyrite disease.

Image ID: Several pyritized ammonite shells in various stages of decay. They all have a light-grey color and a velvety appearance. There are a few in the center that are severely decayed and appear to be just a pile of dark grey and yellow dust, with a similar appearance to mold. One ammonite in the top-center is a more gold-brown color and has cube-shaped pyrite crystals on it. End ID.

[Image by https://twitter.com/MSidKelly/status/667548523475288064]

TLDR: Pyrite disease is a form of rust that impacts pyrite. It produces iron oxides, sulfuric acid, and sulfur dioxide, damaging mineral specimens, fossils, and storage materials. It causes expansion and acid damage that cracks and erodes specimens.

oh and @simple-potato-farmer​, @team-clockers​, @edthefatmagicturtle​, y’all expressed interest in this so here you go! warning: it’s 10 pages long

How Can Fossil Come in Contact with Pyrite?

Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite is found in quartz veins, coal mines, sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, and in fossils as a replacement mineral. Pyrite forms in anoxic environments, which makes it a good environmental indicator. It also means that pyrite is found in association with many deep ocean fossils.

Fossils can be replaced by pyrite. This happens in a process called pyritization, a form of replacement diagenesis where the original material of the organism (in some cases, even soft parts) is replaced by pyrite. For instance, due to the anoxic and high-sulfide concentration in the deep ocean, calcite shells may be replaced by iron pyrite. This is aided by the presence of sulfur-reducing bacteria that facilitate the creation of iron sulfides, and therefore facilitate the precipitation of pyrite during decay(1) as sulfides are produced by the decaying organism(2). In a unique case, high microbial activity led to documentation of pyrite formation on the shells of living mollusks(3). This process leads to beautiful pyritized fossils that look like metal casts but actually are the fossil completely replaced by pyrite.

Image ID: An ammonite cut in half to show pyritization. The entire ammonite appears metallic gold, and the internal cavities contain fine drusy pyrite crystals. End ID.

[Image by: Replacement/Recrystallization (petrifiedwoodmuseum.org)]

Not all fossils end up beautifully pyritized, and not all pyritized fossils stay that way. Pyrite disease, also called pyrite oxidation, pyrite rot, or pyrite decay, is a form of rust. Millions of years of history, only to be destroyed by poor archiving, humidity, and pyrite decay.

Image ID: A brachiopod specimen with pyrite replacement and a patchy outer coating of pyrite. Unlike the ammonite, the pyrite has grown over the shell of this brachiopod in addition to replacing the original structure. End ID.

[Image by: jsjgeology.net/Replacement.htm]

What does Pyrite Disease Do?

Since pyrite is formed in anoxic conditions, most pyritized specimens remain stable for a long time. The reason we observe so much pyrite decay in museum settings and other fossil collections is because the specimens have been removed from the rock and sediment that were limiting their exposure to oxygen. Pyrite decay can occur with or without water, but when pyrite oxidizes in humid air, it reacts with both oxygen and water. This creates not only iron oxide ‘rust’, but also iron sulfate, sulfuric acid, and sulfur dioxide gas4 (corrosive and toxic materials)(1). This chemical reaction eventually destroys the specimen through a combination of factors. The sulfuric acid is corrosive and damages the specimen. Oxidized pyrite is unstable and may crumble over time. There is also another damaging factor: the risks of pyrite replacement and iron sulfate production.

Image ID: A tray of mollusk fossils, each with separate boxes, with evidence of pyrite decay. There is dark grey dust in the bottom of most boxes, and a line of what appears to be water damage across the boxes. The apparent water damage is the result of the sulfuric acid produced. It has also discolored fossils and their labels. End ID. [Image by me]

Pyrite disease is a progressive process that affects fossils over time. Many pyritized specimens may last for years in perfect condition, while many others progressively decay from undetected pyrite disease. The reason that pyrite replacement is notorious for decay has to do with the crystal structure of pyrite. The famous cuboid structure of pyrite crystals is the most stable form of pyrite(4) since the compact form does not easily absorb moisture. Pyrite may occur in a compact, crystalline, stable form or a porous microcrystalline form that is unstable. Certain formations produce more stable pyrite with fewer impurities, but certain fossils are also more susceptible to unstable forms of pyrite. Marcasite is a less common dimorph of pyrite that is more unstable(5). Ammonites, especially those from the Charmoth clays, are notorious for pyrite decay while South American specimens and Yorkshire coast fossils are much more stable(2). The iron sulfate that is produced by the oxidation process is considered an efflorescent mineral(5), a term that means “flowering.” This is because this material has a higher molar volume (the ratio of the volume occupied by a certain amount of a substance) than iron pyrite and wedges the specimen apart as it expands past the constraints of the original crystal structure(5).

Unfortunately, the creation of efflorescent minerals, including other hydrous sulfate minerals, creates a feedback loop. These materials produce acids and provide water that causes the pyrite to further decay, producing more Fe3+ and more efflorescent materials, which feed the cycle of oxidation(5).

Image ID: Two images of the same pyrite disk, taken two years apart. In the left image, the disk has a few cracks and white discoloration in the center, with a yellow outline around the discoloration from sulfur. In the right image, the disk is shown two years later, cracked into four large pieces. The discoloration now extends almost to the edges of the disk, with a much larger yellow margin. End ID.

[Image by Ed Clopton, General: Need 'Pyrite Disease' Photos (mindat.org)]

 (For an interesting, related topic – pyrite decay is a risk in coal mining for a multitude of reasons, including the increase of pulmonary and respiratory disease after pyrite inhalation, the risk of silicosis, and the risk of spontaneous combustion caused by the exothermic reaction involved in the decay of high-sulfide deposits.)

What Does Pyrite Disease Look Like?

Pyrite disease may appear grey, greenish, black, red-orange, white, or sulfur yellow. A redder color indicates rust from other iron minerals other than pyrite. Since pyrite contains sulfur and pyrite oxidation produces sulfuric acid, it may have the rotten-egg smell often associated with sulfur. A metallic-iron smell may also be present. Inhaling the result of pyrite decay can be hazardous (in my experience, it caused migraines even when I double-masked before entering the room due to the severity of the condition of our collections. In most cases it is much less of a concern). If pyrite disease is found, wear gloves and masks and try to disturb the dust as little as possible. Remember that pyrite disease is worse in humid conditions, and these same conditions may encourage the growth of mold. The early stages of pyrite disease may appear as spots of discoloration on a fossil, a slightly duller appearance, additional crystallization, or cracking. Often, the first noticeable sign that is clearly identifiable is dust in the bottom of the box the specimen is in. In these early stages, the severity of the pyrite decay may not be detected until the specimen is moved or handled, and subsequently begins to crumble or leaves dust and a metallic smell on your hands. Later stages appear like mold and may have a fuzzy, cloud-like appearance. If you handle a specimen with pyrite disease, take care to wash your hands and dry them well before handling any other specimens, and check the container or the contaminated specimens and those that surround it so that they can be replaced if needed. In the worst stages of pyrite decay, what is left is not a fossil that may crumble if handled, but a pile of dust. Pyrite disease can affect vertebrate fossils, invertebrate fossils, botanical specimens, mineral specimens with pyrite, and the containers and shelving used.

Image ID: Two images of cubic pyrite crystals. Left: Four cubic pyrite crystals growing into each other, they are a solid metallic gold color with few visible imperfections. Right: a cubic pyrite crystal in a dark matric. This piece is affected by pyrite decay, and the cubic shape is no longer perfect due to cracks in the specimen. It has orange and yellow sections that appear like water stains due to the sulfuric acid produced by pyrite oxidation. End ID.

[Image by Pyrite Disease - Canadian Museum of Nature]

Why Is It A “Disease?”

If the damage to the fossils themselves was not bad enough, consider another factor: it’s often called pyrite disease, instead of pyrite oxidation, for a reason. That reason is that pyrite disease spreads and progresses over time. Historically it was thought that this was the result of a bacterial component, and it was even recommended to treat fossils with antibacterial ointments(5). While bioleaching of pyrite is studied, bacterial theories are no longer supported. The spread of pyrite disease is due to the spreading of acid and the flaking of iron sulfates that may trigger decay on other specimens that already contain pyrite. Although this process is not contagious due to bacteria, it is still an irreversible process that causes fossils to crumble to dust and is, to an extent, a contagious process. The sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide created in pyrite oxidation can damage the containers and fossils near the contaminated specimen.

Image ID: An annotated example of a fish skull preserved in a nodule, which decayed and broke due to pyrite disease. There is a top view (top) and a side view (bottom, fish facing right). There are labels pointing to the top of the skull and to the eye socket showing cavities and red-orange rust labeled “extensive bone loss due to decay.” A white section of the nodule that is split and crumbled is labeled “pyrite decay inside nodule.” The side shows extensive decay to both the fossil and nodule, labeled “nodule blown apart when decay became critical.” End ID.

[Image by Trouble with pyrite – Deposits Mag]

One of the reasons that it is considered a disease is the progressive nature of pyrite decay, which visibly worsens over time. Another reason is the way that sulfuric acid seems to spread and contaminate even the container that the fossil is held in, leaving damage marks on the fossil and its labels. Another factor is the fact that the products of pyrite oxidation expand, appearing like mold or growths that further damage the fossil. The expansion of these oxidation products is one of the most damaging aspects of pyrite disease, as the instability in the crystal structure of the specimen causes cracking and flaking. This is because pyrite oxidation causes the conversion of iron pyrite (FeS2), an iron sulfide mineral that has a cubic crystal structure, to iron sulfate (FeSO4), which has an orthorhombic crystal structure. Not only does this cause the specimens to crack and crumble, but the cracking of the specimen causes flakes of pyrite to break off and spread. These flakes may land on other specimens, spreading the contamination of pyrite decay to other fossils that were previously stable.  In many cases, museums must face difficult decisions to remove scientifically valuable specimens, or even portions of specimens, to prevent further spread of pyrite disease.

Image ID: Left: The crystal structure of iron pyrite. Right: The crystal structure of iron sulfate. End ID.

[Images by: mp-226: FeS2 (Cubic, Pa-3, 205) (materialsproject.org)]

How Can Pyrite Disease Be Managed?

Now, I’ve said that pyrite disease is unreversible. But can it be stopped from progressing once it contaminates a specimen? The simple answer is no. The more complicated answer follows:

Several factors that contribute to pyrite disease: temperature, humidity, oxygen levels, pH, exposure, crystal structure, and bacteria(3). Some factors, such as bacteria and pH, require specific conditions that are uncommon (Thiobacillus bacteria are present over 95% humidity(3) and pH is often affected by the decay process and the methods used to manage it). Other factors are closely linked (e.g., temperature and humidity).

Pyrite disease is most closely linked to humidity and high oxygen conditions. The best way to stop pyrite disease is prevention. Most museums use some form of climate control to preserve their specimens, but the issue here is that vertebrate fossils (bones) have a moderate recommended relative humidity level (~45-55%) in order to avoid cracking or warping6, while the recommended humidity level to prevent pyrite disease is 30%(7) (although below 50% is also stated by some sources(2,8)). In contrast, humidity above 60% is known to accelerate the decay, even to the point that decay begins within a few days of exposure(3, 2). This low humidity level is not always possible, especially for public display, although it is used in some invertebrate collections. Using humidity and oxygen scavengers (e.g., silica gel packets) when collecting can reduce the exposure of specimens to these factors. Using humidity and oxygen barriers when storing specimens can prevent pyrite disease(3). Contained storage of an already contaminated specimen may trap moisture with the specimen. Although, I would say it is better to have an isolated specimen that decayed than have an open specimen contaminate others.

Image ID: The unpolished appearance of a pyritized ammonite. The ammonite is held in front of a rocky area. It is a dull grey color with a matte appearance. It has lumps of rounded pyrite surrounding it. End ID.

[Image by Martin Curtis, Pyrite Decay in Fossil Collections – ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited (zoicpaleotech.com)]

Since the damage from pyrite disease is exacerbated by sulfuric acid, one of the other prevention methods used relies on acid neutralization(5), although this is less common. Currently, the use of humidity and oxygen buffers is the most common method, but some groups rely on extensive testing of specimens to determine which have unstable forms of pyrite incorporated into the fossil or matrix before acting. Another preventative method is removing salt (which may speed up the decomposition) and removing any matrix that may contain pyrite or trap moisture (e.g., clays)(5). Washing specimens to remove salts or matrix remains could damage specimens that are already unstable or could cause damaging moisture exposure (although this could be avoided by washing with alcohol).

Many studies have attempted to find effective ways to stop, reverse, or prevent pyrite decay. From acid treatments to preemptively coating specimens in resin, these tested methods were often damaging to the specimens, especially over the long term. However, were they damaging enough to be worse than pyrite disease? Not necessarily, but a combination of the damage done, the cost, the time investment, and the ineffectiveness of these treatments means that prevention is still the only reliable method for pyrite disease.

Coating specimens in resins and varnishes may provide a buffering effect, but the resin only slows oxidation, it does not stop it. This becomes an issue when the vanishes cannot be removed, and the specimen cannot be accessed for other treatment methods(2). Varnishes may delay the effects, but they have effects of their own, are usually not moisture-proof, and may yellow and crack over time. Coating with resin or embedding the fossil in resin creates the risk of an explosion as the oxidative reaction builds heat and pressure. Some museums coat their fossils in plastic glues (such as Paraloid B-67 or B-72), these glues are reversible, and B-67 is hydrophobic, unlike most resins.

Image ID: Examples of varnished ammonite specimens, showing progressive stages of pyrite disease as the varnish aged and cracked. Left: Complete pyritized specimens with no signs of decay and a glossy finish from the varnish. Center: Pryitized specimens with patches of yellow-orange decay in sections where the varnish cracked. Right: specimens reduced to dark grey and white dust. End ID.

[Image by Chris Andrew, Pyrite Decay in Fossil Collections – ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited (zoicpaleotech.com)]

There are two “cures” to pyrite decay. However, these do not cure pyrite decay in the sense that they reverse it. Instead, these are methods to neutralize the products of pyrite disease to prevent further harm to the specimens. These two methods involve the use of ammonium gas or ethanolamine thioglycolate to remove pyrite byproducts (ammonia converts the iron sulfate to iron oxide(8)) and neutralize any generated sulfuric acid(2). Both methods are intensive, potentially hazardous, and relatively expensive. As a ‘cure,’ they are effective at temporarily halting the progression of pyrite disease, but not preventing it or reversing it. These treatments have been proven to be ineffective at preventing pyrite decay without the use of controlled microclimate (oxygen and humidity exposure)(3).

References:

1 Replacement/Recrystallization (petrifiedwoodmuseum.org)

2 Pyrite Decay in Fossil Collections – ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited (zoicpaleotech.com)

3Minerals | Free Full-Text | Pyrite Decay of Large Fossils: The Case Study of the Hall of Palms in Padova, Italy (mdpi.com)

4Pyrite Disease - Canadian Museum of Nature

5Pyrite disease (palaeo-electronica.org)

6Shells Eggs Bone and Related Materials 160229 (welshmuseumsfederation.org)

7PowerPoint Presentation (vertpaleo.org)

8Trouble with pyrite – Deposits Mag

[pocket-gems]

what do you think an intarsia gem would be like?

Intarsia is the combination of polished gems to make a pretty cabochon. So in my eyes, it's a Cluster. So I can see these gems actually existing on Era 3!

This Intarsia is a combination of a Jasper, a Drusy (Quartz) and an Agate. In this case I made the most boring thing ever because in canon they have a very similar role and body type but I tried to combine them so in my eyes they don't share it.

So I imagine these gems would be the potato of gems. With any shape and colors depending on the components of the gemstone (from 3 to 6 gems). Like, an Intarsia would be like a "fusion" but without the extra limbs/eyes. I mentioned Era 3 because they could come to existence via the collection of broken gems' shards to restore and undo the damage.

Intarsia gems would have no role in gem society, but would keep a part of their powers and would be slilghty bigger than their natural counterparts if that makes sense.

If you want a less boring looking Intarsia, you can always look up examples (and components, that's important!) to see whatever comes out!

[pusakadunia]

Mustika Kerejekian Kristal Drusi

Mustika Kerejekian Kristal Drusi

Mustika Kerejekian Kristal Drusi Mustika Kerejekian Drusi akan membawa aura positif untuk anda para pedagang dan pengusaha. Aura positif akan menarik para pelanggan untuk datang berbondong-bondong dan kembali lagi. Mustika ini mendatangkan rejeki dan pelanggan dari segala penjuru, dengan begitu energi mustika ini akan meningkatkan taraf ekonomi anda dengan pesat. Keterangan Batu Mustika…

[primordialsoundmeditation]

This is a color of compromise; of neutrality and settling negative emotions. Being a color of transition, occupying all the space between black and white, grey lays down a pathway through the end to new and fresh beginnings. It is the color of infinite interpretations allowing us to see the range of possibilities that lies in between black and white; the darker or more to the black side, the more mysterious and dramatic gray is becoming more illuminating and lively as it moves toward white. There is an air of dignity and self respect about the color grey; wearing it portrays the image of good taste.

Grey suggests permanency and stability, like rocks found in nature. It keeps us on an even keel bringing a stable and solid base, providing us a sense of calm and composure, allowing us to find some relief from a chaotic world.

This isn’t a color that seeks attention but puts the attention on other colors near by, giving them the limelight. It is often associated with intelligence, dignity and self-respect. Grey encourages self-control and self-sufficiency. It gives creativity a boost as it settles the mind allowing new and fresh ideas to come through.

In color magick, grey is used for settling negative emotions, invisibility, finding a neutral mind set and pondering complex issues. Grey can help open our minds so we might see the options in our lives. Use caution as it can cause confusion.

Grey crystals are healing stones, can also help stabilize relationships and enhance our ability to ground and center ourselves. Try using, with intention, smoky quartz, gray chalcedony or drusy.

The whimsical Pixie

Words of Wisdom by the Lit Messenger

[superfuji]

Ma ora quella che era un’accusa sta diventando un fatto. In primo luogo, la legge sullo Stato-nazione pone gli ebrei al di sopra dei concittadini arabi – musulmani, drusi, beduini e cristiani. Ogni giorno i ministri del governo e i loro alleati sfogano il loro razzismo e lo fanno con azioni discriminatorie. Non c’è pietà nemmeno per i drusi che, come gli ebrei, hanno fatto parte dell’esercito fin dal 1948.

In secondo luogo, Israele non può più rivendicare la sicurezza come ragione del nostro comportamento in Cisgiordania e dell’assedio di Gaza. Dopo 56 anni, la nostra occupazione non può più essere spiegata come temporanea, in attesa di una soluzione al conflitto con i palestinesi. Ci stiamo dirigendo verso l’annessione, e non mancano inviti a raddoppiare i 500.000 coloni israeliani già presenti in Cisgiordania.

L’esercito è del tutto complice nel sequestro illegale di terre e nella creazione di avamposti di insediamento. Il governo usa impropriamente molti milioni di shekel per i coloni. Abusa delle sue stesse leggi. I coloni uccidono i palestinesi e distruggono case e automobili. I tribunali intervengono raramente. I soldati stanno a guardare.

Neghiamo ai palestinesi qualsiasi speranza di libertà e di vita normale. Crediamo alla nostra stessa propaganda secondo cui alcuni milioni di persone dovrebbero accettare docilmente inferiorità e oppressione perpetue.

Il governo sta spingendo Israele sempre più verso un comportamento disumano e crudele, al di là di qualsiasi difesa. Non è necessario essere religiosi per sapere che questo è un vergognoso tradimento della moralità e della storia ebraica.

Per decenni ho difeso Israele dalle accuse di apartheid. Ora non posso più farlo.