Category: Calendar of Events
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #39: Fluorite and Sphalerite
One last chunk of beautiful fluorite… nice purple crystals on a bed of sphalerite. Sounds and looks tasty! If you are up this late (or is that early), you deserve a tasty preview… just a few hours until the show starts!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #38: Reticulopteris munsterii var. dawsonii from Mazon Creek
How about another Mazon Creek seed fern? This one is Neuropteris jacksonii (see Mazon Monday #250). If you are reading this… today is the day!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #37: Alethopteris serlii from St. Clair, Pennsylvania
This preview is of a chunk of shale from St. Clair, PA. This piece contains numerous examples of Alethopteris serlii, a seed fern also found in Mazon Creek localities. We are getting very close now… inside 12 hours away!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #36: Purple Fluorite from Cave-in-Rock, IL
Here’s yet another beautiful chunk of fluorite from Illinois. This one is purple and was collected from Cave-in-Rock, IL. many years ago. Come and see it tomorrow… less than a day away!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #35: Priscacara, sp. from the Green River Formation in Wyoming
What fossil show is complete without a Green River fish? Here is a nice Priscacara, sp. These fish date to the Eocene, about 50 million years ago. We have other Green River fish, come on out and see them!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #34: Giant Moroccan Trilobite
How about a giant Moroccan trilobite for something different? Come on out… we will have other trilobites at the show.
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #33: Laveineopteris rarinervis from Mazon Creek
This is a beautiful specimen of Laveineopteris rarinervis (see Mazon Monday #81) a seed fern commonly found in the Mazon Creek fossil deposit. Come on out and check it out tomorrow!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #32: Calcite from Ourey, Colorado
Time for another beautiful mineral specimen. This is calcite from Ourey, Colorado. Come on out tomorrow… there is something for everyone!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #30: Mazon Creek Achistrum, sp. Colony
Another Mazon Creek beauty… this is a nice Achistrum, sp. colony, which is a sea cucumber. You can see at least three mouths in the fossil. See Mazon Monday #29. Come on out and see for yourself, tomorrow, yes, tomorrow! Less than a day away!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #31: Crinoid Plate from the Bangor Formation in Northern Alabama
Another crinoid plate from the Bangor Formation in Northern Alabama. This plate has multiple crinoids and other fossils like Archimedes bryozoans. Tomorrow is the day!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #29: Crystalline Copper from Southwest Africa
This chunk of crystalline copper is from southwest Africa. Tomorrow is the day!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #28: Coelocanth Scale from Pit 11
Here’s beautiful example of a Coelocanth scale Mazon Creek’s Pit 11 locality. Look closely, the preservation is very detailed. Did we mention the tomorrow is the show… see you there!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #27: Rare Wisconsin Jellyfish from Marathon County, Wisconsin
Jellyfish, which have no hard parts, are very rare in the fossil record. This species Hiemalora stellaris was found in the Cambrian rocks of the Blackberry Hill Deposit of Marathon County, Wisconsin. Come on out tomorrow and it can be yours!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #26: Azurite from the Daye District, Ezhou Prefecture, Hubei Province, China
What a beautiful blue! The specimen of Azurite hails from the Daye District, Ezhou Prefecture, Hubei Province, China. Less than a day until the door open!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #25: Calomostachys Cone
We have a bunch of Mazon Creek fossils this year… here’s another nice cone – Calomostachys, sp. One day away from the show… are you coming?!?
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #24: Yellow Fluorite from Hardin County, IL
We have some real nice pieces of fluorite for this year’s show. Here is a beautiful yellow specimen from Hardin County, IL. Tomorrow is the day… come on out!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #23: Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri terminal pinnule
Preview 23 is a nice terminal end of a Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri from Mazon Creek. To learn more see Mazon Monday #39. Saturday will be here before you know it…
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #22: Valentinite after Stibnite on Barite
How about this beautiful specimen of Valentinite after Stibnite on Barite? It was collected from the Xikuangsthan Mine in Lengshuijiang, Hunan Province, China. Come on out and see it close up in less than 2 days!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #21: Thalassina anomala from Gunn Point, N. T., Australia
The next preview is a fossil mangrove lobster, Thalassina anomala, from Gunn Point, N. T., Australia. This is a very detailed fossil with superb preparation. Come on out and check it out at the show… less than 2 days away!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #20: Pieces of Mexican Opal
Mexican opal is very beautiful and we have a small collection of pieces here for this preview. Just 2 days left… Hope to see you!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #19: Fluorite and Sphalerite
We have multiple pieces of beautiful fluorite for this years show. This is one of the best… it has large crystals of fluorite resting on sphalerite. Have I mentioned we are just a few days away from this year’s show?!?
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #18: Lepidostrobus, sp. Cone
Here’s a beautiful Lepidostrobus, sp. cone (see Mazon Monday #202) from Mazon Creek. These cones were the reproductive organs of lepidodendron trees.
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #17: Wulfenite from Yugoslavia
How about a beautiful piece of Wulfenite from Mies, Yugoslavia? This is a gorgeous specimen. Come out and see it this Satuday!
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Video for ESCONI March 2026 General Meeting – “Archaeological, Geological, and Other Historic Sites in Portugal”
Jeffrey Amelse presented “Archeological, Geological, and Other Historic Sites in Portugal”. The meeting was held on March 13th, 2026 at 8:00 PM via Zoom.
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #16: Calamostachys Cone
A the rarer side, we have a nice Calamostachys cone for preview #16. Calamostachys was one of the cones of Calamites (see Mazon Monday #99). Less than 6 days left until the show… how quickly time flies!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #15: Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri
For this preview, we have a beautiful Macroneuropteris scheuchzeri (see Mazon Monday #39). This was collected from one of the Morris localities.
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ESCONI at Burpee Museum’s PaleoFest ’26
ESCONI was at PaleoFest ’26 last week. Joseph Bruno put together this nice little video. Ready for the paleo hordes! Here everyone is waiting on the Keynote Speaker, Jingmai O’Connor. Finn Lutz discussing his informative display. Scott teaching some earth science… Remember, Burpee is home of Jane the Nanotyrannus and they have other dinosaurs! See…
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #14: Aragonite from Ratanakiri Province, Thailand
Here is a beautiful piece of Aragonite from Ratanakiri Province, Thailand. It’s hard to believe we are just a week away from the show! See you there!
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Video for ESCONI February 2026 General Meeting – “Diggin’ Illinois: A hands-on introduction to the fascinating archaeological record of Illinois.”
Illinois has a rich and varied archaeological record that spans some 13,000 years. In this hybrid presentation, we will first explore this record in lecture format, then interact with hands-on stations that include different archaeological materials from the Land of Lincoln. After experiencing “Diggin’ Illinois”, participants will foster a better appreciation for our state’s culture…
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ESCONI March 2026 General Meeting – March 13th, 2026 at 8:00 PM – “Archaeological, Geological, and Other Historic Sites in Portugal”
Jeffrey Amelse will be presenting “Archeological, Geological, and Other Historic Sites in Portugal”. The meeting will be held on March 13th, 2026 at 8:00 PM via Zoom.
