- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tumbling Puddingstones

I've found that using my rock tumbler with stage 1 grit, takes all the rough edges off my Puddings while leaving their...integrity, general shape intact.

 Tumbling usually takes just 2-4 days and they even pick up a nice shine. I don't feel that any further tumbling or polishing is needed.

QueenPuddin from Huron today

Here is the largest Pudding, with the heaviest amount of inclusions that I have found to date.

 I found her just north of Rogers City along with a few "pocket pieces", small Puddings.

 Whilst I find the vast majority of my Puddings at local businesses in decorative stone borders, there is something very special within these Lake Huron beauties. They have this light brown matrix and they just feel really good.

 I don't know, maybe it's the fabulous energy of the Lake, or that they have never been touched by human hands prior to mine. They feel refreshing, lite, invigorating and pleasing.

I didn't pluck this one from the Lake....Huron gifted me:)

What is Pudding Stone? A definition

Here is the definition of "Pudding Stone" from the book "Michigan Rocks & Minerals" by Dan R. Lynch & Bob Lynch:
 "Pudding Stone, like Michigan's granite, is another case of "foreign" rocks making their way south via the glaciers of past ice ages. Pudding Stone formed in Canada and is a type of conglomerate rock that has undergone metamorphosis; it has been greatly compacted and hardened due to pressure.
  It originally consisted primarily of gravel-sized pieces of jasper, chert and quartz, though after such intense hardening and cementing together, the quartz has actually become a variety of quartzite. The jasper and chert pieces are randomly sized and shaped and are generally quite limited in relation to the amount of quartzite.
 This metamorphosed conglomerate derives it's curious name from its appearance. Long ago, discoverers thought that the bright red jasper fragments resembled fruit and the dark chery looked like nuts, with the white quartzite being the "pudding" they floated in.
  It is this characteristic appearance that should be enough to identify it."

I really like this definition! It's straightforward and easy-to-understand. I'd recommend it for Michigan rock hounds.
 I think the definition helps me to eliminate some stones that I was erroneously calling Puddings. Such as this one;

I believe this to be a Conglomeration due to it's very prolific inclusions, no clear quartzite matrix and little actual jasper.

Today's Haul

The office building I go to, seems to have a never ceasing supply of Puddings. I have some scrubbing to do but here they are. The bigger ones are a hand size.

A closer view...love the pink peaches

Puddingstones with Brown "Chocolate Chip" Inclusions

Lipstick Puddings

The various names, a.k.a.s of Puddingstone

Jasper Conglomerate 

Plum-Pudding Stone

Jasper Puddingstone

Bruce Mines Puddingstone

Lorrain Jasper Conglomerate from the Huronian Super Group

Jasper Pebble Conglomerate 

St. Joseph Island Puddingstone

Quartz Conglomerate 

Drummond Island Puddingstone

The Various Colors of Puddingstones

Here is a sampling of the wide variety of colored Puddingstones in Michigan:

Red Jasper in Puddingstones

Red Jasper seems to be present in almost every one of my 100-200 Michigan Puddings. It varies in color from bright, lipstick red to a duller color.

 Here are some good examples of Red Jasper inclusions. In a few of them, it's more like Red Jasper with a little bit of Pudding matrix.

 When searching for stones, I often train myself to "look for the red."

More Places to Find Puddingstones

I was weeding, at my church, when I noticed the distinct patterns and red jasper of Puddingstone. Within a half hours time, I has collected these medium to small ones.
 I has my church's permission to collect the Puddings and I replaced what I took with an equal amount of rocks from my stone piles at home.

Where to find Michigan Puddingstones

In Michigan, Puddingstones can be found in the majority of counties, in quarries, farmers freshly turned fields or decades old rock piles, in decorative stone around office buildings and private homes,  inland lakes and rivers, but the most prolific area to find them is the north eastern part of Lake Huron from Alpena to Cheboygen and on Drummond and St. Joseph Islands.
 Driving along US 31, there are numerous deserted beaches where you can simply pull your car off the road and walk to the waters edge.
 Rogers City and north to Cheboygen is a popular Pudding area. The first place I stopped was Hammond Bay Harbor. The harbor looks fairly new with retaining walls, a rest area and marina. The two times I was there I encountered only one other vehicle.
 The water to the south of the breakwall was fairly shallow. I'd stand in the water, wait for the gentle waves to slow and look for the telltale glint of bright, red jasper on a light colored rock. Then I'd have to wager how many feet I was willing to go in:)
 The general size of the rocks was about hand size to a few inches, with some smaller stones. It was a relatively small area with a rocky shore, maybe 20-30 feet or so. Scattered all over the area, however, were numerous rocks in large numbers. Almost too much to search without a watering can or the dampness of rain to help locate Puddings.
 I did clean out the lake Puddings, but there may still be some higher up on the beach. Here is a picture of the ones I found my first trip to Hammond Harbor.

This photo, like the majority of Puddings I will post, are wet to show off the colors.

My Puddingstone Collection...a few of them