slate - Jurassic black slate from Placer Co., CA - Unit of 5 student specimens

Description

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Student specimens of Jurassic black slate from the Mariposa Formation - Unit of 5
This slate is from the Jurassic Mariposa Formation, in the Mother Lode region of the Sierra Nevada of California. Slate is metamorphosed from a shale or fine grained sedimentary rock.
Further metamorphism results in a phyllite, which has a satiny surface sheen from microscopic flakes of mica aligned in the plane of the bedding. Even more metamorphism results in a schist, where the mica flakes are large enough to be seen.
To distinguish a slate from a shale,
lick it. A slate will smell only very faintly muddy or not muddy at all. A shale will generally have a muddy smell when wet. This slate originated as muddy marine sediments and is commonly auriferous.
We really don't like the tiny finger nail-sized specimens offered to students, as we feel these are too small to see rock textures and too small for examining the identifying characteristics of a mineral. We want the "Oh, Wow!" effect when students see the set of specimens they are going to work with. We collect these specimens so that five specimens, or possibly six, will fit in a small flat rate box, and we keep the price low, as we know these will be used in a classroom. For teachers we count like a baker where a dozen is more than 12, since you will always need a few spares.  If you are a teacher, let us know.
You are buying a unit of five student specimens. The photo is representative of what we ship.
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