George E. Mustoe            

‍ ‍ Geology Department,  

  Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT OF MY IMPRESSIONS OF:

THE BECKY STONE

(AS DESCRIBED TO KELLY O. CALLAHAN)

I was first in communication with Kelly Callahan via Email. He reached out to me asking for some initial thoughts I may have on a specimen he has, to wit, a 66 million year old petrified fossil stump called THE BECKY STONE. He sent some attached photos of the specimen that immediately caught my attention. In the photos he sent, I saw what looked like a partial tree trunk sticking out of an attached root mass. By the visible layers of sedimentary build up, I surmised it was indeed a petrified specimen. However, it was unlike any specimen I have ever seen of petrified wood. Most “stumps” that have petrified almost always lack any sort of attached root mass, though the possibility has always been theorized, especially in standing conifer trees that have petrified, however, these are in protected areas and unearthing them is not allowed except in a research type of excavation. 

The other photos included in that Email showed various forms of opal and smaller specimens consisting of cellular structure and different phases of opal in situ. All very interesting, but as in all photos and claims, they lacked the authentication of seeing them in person. However, the photos were clear enough that I could see that they were what he was telling me they were. I explained to Mr. Callahan that I was retired from the University and no longer maintained an office on campus, but that I reserved time on the SEM on weekends and Holidays. I further explained that without proper examination I could  not make any determinations on the actual make up of his specimen, other than it appears to be a truly remarkable discovery.

Mr. Callahan and I exchanged a few more Emails and I provided him with as much information as I could without SEM analysis. Mr. Callahan offered to send me some samples and asked me if I would be interested in performing those tests. I informed Mr. Callahan that Museums across the country frequently send me petrified wood to analyze, and that if he wanted to send me a few small pieces that I would put them under the SEM and get him some very nice pictures of his specimen. 

The specimens arrived and I used some time I had reserved on the SEM and prepared the samples with a coating of Palladium after gluing them on specimen pins. Under various magnifications it was easy to determine that the specimens were consistent with Opal CT. However, these opals had such dense spherical structure that the spherical structure was only visible through micro fractures, or contact zones of cross sectioning. (Please see attached SEM photos and PDF that explains this in greater detail.)

In my many years as a Geologist, I have been privileged to see many unique rocks, opals, agates, etc. However, these specimens are unlike anything seen before. They lack the normal water content (see attached PDF explaining the evaporation process and specific gravity of opal tests performed to determine this.),of almost all opals. In essence, opal MUST have water content for it to be opal. There is another specific process in which opal begins to turn into crystal when certain conditions, rare conditions apply and that's what appears to have been happening to the opal within The Becky Stone. It accounts for the extreme hardness of 6.0-7.5 on the MOHS scale of hardness. Wood opal generally falls between 4.5- 6.0 on the same scale. Another anomaly to this specimen.

At this point I feel it necessary  to make a point of fact. So much of determining the value of opal, the exotic properties of opal or listing any specimen as “priceless” is all about a judgement call that must be based upon scientific determinations made through many forms of testing. However, in the end these evaluations of statements are all about a person's judgement based on the facts arrived at through known processes. My opinions are based upon what the SEM shows me and my many years of collected knowledge in the geological field. Therefore, it is my opinion, based on my professional experience, that The specimen known as The Becky Stone is a true anomaly of nature. It is unique unto itself with no known equivalent to exist on the fossil record. There is nothing to compare it to but its own self. The judgement call then becomes this: It is a natural history trophy that belongs in a museum due the fact that this specimen is priceless on a scientific scale. It is a time capsule into a period of time on our planet that we know little about. The answers that this wonderfully preserved specimen could answer are unfathomable. As a research item it is very much priceless, as a gemstone specimen it’s value could be nothing short of phenomenal. However, gems are not my area of study, so I defer to someone with more knowledge than I have in that field. But, I caution of the tragedy that could be perpetuated against this specimen if it was to be cut up only for its gemological inclusions. In fact that would be bordering, in my opinion, as a criminal act against science and natural history. I therefore make the plea to keep this marvel in one piece for the generations to come. I therefore make the plea to keep this marvel in one piece for generations to come. In short, I hope that no value is ever placed on the opal content, so as not to give in to temptation that may be money based.

DR. GEORGE E. MUSTOE (RETIRED) WWU**

**Thanks to Dr. Mustoe for his SEM images and descriptions of the opal CT