Horse Creek chert also known as Pickwick tricolor or Lost Quarry flint.
South-central Tennessee along the Tennessee River Valley, Northern Alabama, and Northern Mississippi.
Nodules are gray or brownish-gray in color on the exterior. The center of the nodule is brilliant red to red-orange surrounded by a yellow to yellow-white layer and finally the blue-gray exterior. It is slightly heavier than other cherts, grainy and is very tough to work.
Heat treating causes the red to turn a burgundy or slightly purple color. The yellow bands turn to a yellow-orange, and the blue-gray sections darken-slightly. The surface also becomes more lustrous when heat treated.
Photos and samples courtesy of Ron Kelley
South-central Tennessee along the Tennessee River Valley, Northern Alabama, and Northern Mississippi.
Nodules are gray or brownish-gray in color on the exterior. The center of the nodule is brilliant red to red-orange surrounded by a yellow to yellow-white layer and finally the blue-gray exterior. It is slightly heavier than other cherts, grainy and is very tough to work.
Heat treating causes the red to turn a burgundy or slightly purple color. The yellow bands turn to a yellow-orange, and the blue-gray sections darken-slightly. The surface also becomes more lustrous when heat treated.
Photos and samples courtesy of Ron Kelley
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