This may not be the largest graphite specimen in the world…
but it is one of the largest graphite balls!
Balls of Graphite in calcite matrix from Gooderham, Ontario
The overall specimen measures 3.5 x 3.0 x 2.5 cm
The largest ball measures 0.5 cm
The balls are composed of micro crystals of graphite.
Dr. John A. Jaszczak is crazy nuts for graphite.
His website has a ton of information on graphite from the same location as this specimen.
I've got to share this!
Categories: It's a Hobby, Mineral Collecting, Photography
Tags: Dr. John A. Jaszczak, Gooderham, graphite, mineral collecting, mineral photography
Maggie Wilson Author 
Maggie, I am so envious if your collection. Guess next I’ll post a few petrified wood pictures. We’re near the painted desert and Meteor Crater. Maybe I’ll take a few pictures of the meteors we’ve found—both on our land.
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Which crater, Pam? Canyon Diablo?
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She says “Thank you” and “It’s pretty.”
We are amazed that it grows in balls. The site you directed us to has one that looks like diamonds and one that looks like our cat’s nose! Thanks so much!
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You are welcome, Moo! Joey too!
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I don’t see the pic, Maggie. [sob !]
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That’s odd… WP is glitchy these days… 😦
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This one looks most unusual with the light and dark nestled together! 🙂
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Yes, cyclops-like. 🙂
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Is that an infected rock pimple?? Eww.
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um… huh, I suppose… what else do you see in the Rorschach picture? Hmmm?
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Well, the bottom picture appears to be the decapitated head of a Stormtrooper with a rather nasty growth on his head. Or he came off second best against the Wookie.
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OK. My work here is done. Dr. Freud? Would you care to comment?
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Talk about weird … but strangely compelling. 🙂
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I had no idea that graphite occurred like this. Of course, all I’ve ever known about graphite is that it’s found in pencils and lubricants.
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It’s unusual for graphite to take this habit. Usually it’s massive or when it crystallizes it forms hexagonal flakes. Cool, eh?
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Very.
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I had no idea that graphite grew in balls like that! My first reaction was that it looked like a cancer growth – I like your version better 🙂
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Don’t know what Freud would say, although can imagine, but I LOVE in- and ex-trusions, whether they be Gettysburg cannonballs held partway in tree trunks, your marvelous sample here–it’s beautiful, Maggie, and beautifully photographed–or an amazing glass sculpture I saw at the Corning Glass Museum in NY.
Thank you!
(Hope that Flickr link works–never tried those–prob’ly should make an Instagram acct and copy stuff there, huh?)
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The Flickr link DOES work! Thank you! What is the scale on your image? I’m guessing the size of a standard office desk?
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D#mn big but a tad shorter than a desk. Sorry that I can’t get closer than that. Let me check to see if I photo’d the card.
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Stupidly not. Missed that one, so can’t even tell you the artist. 😦 And it was my favorite piece I saw that day.
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Dang. Stupid OCD-ish-ness. Just couldn’t leave it alone. Here is a simply awful photo of one of the Gettysburg tree trunks, but I entirely reject all blame for the poor photo quality: On that trip, had the worst phone for picture-taking ever made, a cheapo Samsung issued by Boost Mobile. In any but ideal lighting, it upchucked all over focus, color, and whatever else it could, the evil thing.
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LOL – thanks for persevering! I think your OCD-ish-ness is rubbing off. I just spent some time searching Google images for your art glass piece. Gave that up in a hurry, though.
But tell me, how is it that you are able to comment with hyperlinks already installed? Usually all I can do, when I comment is insert the entire URL…
Inquiring minds…
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I used Tineye to search for the piece but all it found was my own photo 🙂
Here’s the instream linking:
your text to show as a hyperlink
My internet gone ‘cept phone. No posting; maybe weekS. Arghh!!
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