A Better Way to Hunt for Leland Blue

I team up with Cody from Michigan Rockhounds (michiganrockhou...) again. This time we're in Leland looking for slag glass. Cody has done his homework on Leland Blues and shares his knowledge.
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[@littledabwilldoya9717]

The green ones are usually called Frankfort greens. There was a foundry there at one point, also. I found a small pure purple one there in Leland , once.😊Nancy, those small bright Lelands would make really pretty post earrings.

[@MichiganRocks]

I thought that to be Frankfort Green, it had to actually be from Frankfort.

[@michiganrockhounds]

So; my perspective on this has always been about preservation of history. Leland Blues are slag from in Leland, Frankfort greens are slag found in Frankfort, Elk Blues are from Elk Rapids, etc etc. The importance of history here is the different processes in which each furnace disposed of and discarded of their slag. Not every furnace had the same practices and not every furnace produced the same slag material (though some have near 1:1 characteristics of other furnaces). Calling slag from where it came from is important to me, as a collector and someone who appreciates the history, as it's incredibly important for the preservation and history behind the materials. Because at the end of the day, what you're collecting here, are historical artifacts that are no longer produced today, and are quickly dwindling in quantity.

[@nancygaxiola5412]

Haha I've got the posts!

[@nancygaxiola5412]

So much wonderful history that you know! Thanks!

[@kc3718]

it's funny how you guys prize these relatively modern industrial waste products. Where I live we have entire forest paths made of furnace slag from 17-20 C operations, and many famers fill boggy ground with it too. usually a grey hued blue, often with bubbles and banded 'strata'. In other areas we have medieval glass works from the 14/15 C.

[@judywi5545]

Nancy did a great job with the camera and mic!! I always enjoy it when she's along.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, she did. That's the most she's ever done in one video.

[@judywi5545]

@@MichiganRocks Nancy has a good eye for spotting unusual rocks. Rob, I've enjoyed your "guests" that you've had with you, lots of enjoyable, educational material!!

[@CityRockhounding]

Awesome pieces Rob, great way to find them. I find them on the railroad a few hours south of you, blue and green, not supposed to be on the railroad, but I feel like I give back by cleaning up all the trash and tree branches that fall on the tracks. Plus I'm out in the middle of the woods. Very cool information about the blue on banded chertz I didn't no that find thst stuff by me too. Like Petoskey, puddingstones, unakite, jasper, chert, tons of fossils, horn coral, gastropods, favosites, bryozoan, syringopora, aulopora, chain coral, and crinoids stems and heads.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'll have to go back and do that again. It was a lot of fun. Cody really showed me up, so I need to go redeem myself!

[@kaloncar]

Great video. Cody is very knowledgable on them. Love the team work and the combined knowledge and passion for what you are finding and teaching.

[@justjulee9135]

Hey Nancy! Great job with the camera and beach finds today. I very much enjoyed you doing the narrative. Rob and Cody thanks for the great educational video! I always enjoy your videos!

[@MichiganRocks]

I thought having Nancy do most of the talking was a nice change of pace too! It gave me a chance to just relax and find stuff (or at least try to find stuff).

[@lajazz1]

I found a bin full of amethyst purple slag washed up on a beach. It is beautiful!

[@MichiganRocks]

Sounds really nice.

[@tinastoddard5411]

Beautiful stones. I love Nancy doing the commentary. Fun video!

[@MichiganRocks]

She did a great job. Nice to hear someone else for a change, isn't it?

[@largent45]

Man those leland blues come in such a variety of colors, and it looks like, blue is actually the rarest! But man is it beautiful! All the variety of colors were pretty and i really likes the purple one too! I just cant get over how beautiful and blue the water in the lakes is. Here on the west coast, we just dont really have that beautiful blue, clean and clear of water anywhere. From the pacific ocean to the many rivers, ours are always green. Michigan itself is just so beautiful! Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventures!

[@MichiganRocks]

We have both blues and green here. Where there's a lot of limestone on the bottom, it usually looks more green. Deeper water is darker blue than shallow water.

[@Biffle-re3db]

Love snorkeling with you guys, great finds and that bright blue one that Cody found is beautiful. I love Nancy's camera work and finds. Awesome video all the way around 👍✌💖

[@MichiganRocks]

Nancy did a great job with the camera and Cody found some great stuff. I'm not sure why I was even there!

[@chrislilly1463]

I like how Nancy has mastered the "look to the horizon as I drop the rock" maneuver. We can still hear it! lol And of course the first Rock shown underwater... a Petoskey stone. lol

[@MichiganRocks]

I think she has watched enough of my videos that it was second nature for her. You would have been really disappointed if I had swam past a Petoskey without picking it up to take a look, wouldn't you?

[@chrislilly1463]

@@MichiganRocks Of course I would have been disappointed,. but I still have to tease a little bit. I really liked the idea of snorkeling. You get a look at what the beach walker don't get to see.

[@staceymcmahan5016]

Great video as I always learn more from you and your colleagues knowledge. The history and formation of slag glass is interesting. I'll never snorkel so enjoying live vicariously through your adventures. Nancy did a wonderful job keeping me interested in all the beach finds. I always enjoy rockhounding and gorgeous lake videos. Thank you!

[@MichiganRocks]

That was a fun day and Nancy did a great job with the camera on the beach. I don't know how we would have done the video without her.

[@karenmikola1552]

My husband and I are laughing. A few weeks ago while in Leland we also thought snorkeling would be the way to get something larger than a marble!

[@MichiganRocks]

I did find one slightly bigger than a marble.

[@susietincknellsmith653]

Love the under water footage. Makes me feel like I’m snorkeling with you!

[@MichiganRocks]

I need to learn to move slower. It always looks like I'm moving so fast even though it doesn't feel like that when I'm filming.

[@HetteshWorld]

I love this video and have learned so much from it. I never heard of the Leland Blue Rock before. This is beautiful. It is always good when Nancy is in the video because she always is funny and her sassy attitude is always appreciate lol. We have found lots of beautiful rocks all across the United States and our travels. Michigan is still our favorite state when it comes to the variety of rocks that you can find. Nancy, I love the colors also and Bob, my husband loves the design on the rocks. The next time we come back I definitely have to find myself a petrosky. Someone gave me a small one because I think they felt sorry for me lol. But my son-in-law took that one. We will check out his channel and thank you so much for another great video!

[@MichiganRocks]

I thought it was a nice changed of pace to have Nancy be the main narrator in this video. You guys have to get tired of hearing me all the time.

[@HetteshWorld]

@@MichiganRocks No we love your radio voice lol. We have learned so much from you. Nancy, and you Rob, are our rock heroes and we are grateful we found your channel!

[@johncloar1692]

Thanks for the video It look like the water could be on the cool side. Thanks for video it reminded me when I was much younger I took my family to Land between the Lakes in Kentucky they had several Iron furnaces there and you could find some of the blue slag there. Thanks Nancy, Rob and Cody for sharing you adventure.

[@MichiganRocks]

This was a month ago and the water was pretty warm. We were in for a couple hours at a time, though, so I was glad to have a wetsuit on.

[@virginiarocks]

I like how the stop action worked underwater-it had a lot less potential for queasy feeling with all that wave action. Well done, lovely locations!

[@MichiganRocks]

I was actually trying to capture the wave action in my video, but it didn't show up that well. Those waves were pretty big. When snorkeling on the surface, the bottom would come close and then recede as the waves carried me up and down. It was kind of fun, but rock hunting would have been much easier in calmer water.

[@virginiarocks]

@@MichiganRocks understood-I’ve done a lot of snorkeling in the ocean - I was a little bit worried that you might smack your camera (or yourself) into the rocks - never fun. Actually- coral is worse (usually very sharp and fragile).

[@moonstruck581]

Cody has so much enthusiasm and has so much knowledge on the subject. Rob amazing video loved the method of your searching underwater. Your wife narrating and showing her finds awesome😊

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm not sure I was even needed on this trip. Between Nancy and Cody, they had the bases pretty well covered.

[@Bigheartrolling]

He did a great job on explaining how these form.

[@maddie9947]

Always so fun to watch y’all rockhounding. such beautiful finds! 😍😍

[@xinmao8117]

Agree!

[@salishseaquest7952]

Rob & Cody -- This was entertaining and educational. Nancy, loved the end shots of the Lake -- nice to love where you live!

[@michiganrockhounds]

Thank you! It's always fun to hound with Rob. He brings the entertainment, Michigan Rockhounds brings the education!

[@enricojaun2880]

I know i posted something like this during the pandemic, but Michigan (manistee) is my happy place. Just hearing the sound of the waves makes my day brighter... and of course rock hunting is awsome. Thanks for making thesevideos! Some weeks i really need to hear the lake.

[@MichiganRocks]

The sound of the lake is always the most popular part of my beach videos, I think.

[@davidhile5363]

I agree with you Enrico. Manistee has a lot of nice beaches to choose from !

[@juliesmall3756]

I have wanted a rock tumbler since I was a kid loving the look and feel of smooth polished rocks. I bought what I could afford, a two barrel Harbor Freight, and ordered supplies from the Rock Shed and started tumbling rocks I found locally. While they don't turn out perfect all the time since I don't lave a lap grinder to take out bumps and dips, I have used your patient approach, with multiple runs in the same grit, and long 2 week polish phases giving me very satisfactory results. Thanks for your very helpful tutorials.

[@MichiganRocks]

It's actually pretty rare that I grind out any holes. Usually I just let them roll in the tumbler until they're gone. That first stage can take a really, really long time.

[@ExploringwithNaomie]

I love your videos. They are always so informative. Thank you for that. And I Love Leland blue

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome!

[@betojdesigns]

Such a beautiful place. Thank you so much for sharing your snorkeling adventure with us. You all found some nice pieces, but that big piece that Cody found was pretty awesome 👏.

[@MichiganRocks]

That smaller, round one he found before lunch had the best color, but that biggest one was really cool too.

[@margaretlynch1494]

🙋‍♀️❤ Lol, Nancy. "Swamp things!" WOW One of Cody's Leland blue was as blue as a hunk of play dough! THE Beaches and the day was gorgeous! Cool and Artsy for sure!

[@robbybobby6466]

Beautiful waste i would agree. I love the mining history of the area.

[@MichiganRocks]

It's the prettiest industrial waste I have ever seen.

[@robbybobby6466]

@@MichiganRocks Cody has the eyes. It must have been such a thrill to have Cody win the stone polishing competition. He may have succeeded all your expectations. Congrats again Cody!

[@MichiganRocks]

@@robbybobby6466 Cody didn't win the rock tumbling contest, that was Sam.

[@robbybobby6466]

@@MichiganRocks oh crud that’s right, I am so confused. Sorry Sam.

[@Whateverhasbeenmynameforyears]

I am really enjoying the back and forth.

[@littledabwilldoya9717]

Looks like you had a really nice, calm day for it! Just taking a guess- you didn’t do this in the last two or three days, did you “😂😉

[@MichiganRocks]

It started out calm, but after lunch it was really rough. This was filmed on Sept 10. I have a bit of a backlog of videos.

[@Indyanas_ocean_view]

Very awesome! What an amazing way to find Leland blue! Everybody found some really pretty stones today!😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, but one person found a whole lot more!

[@Indyanas_ocean_view]

@@MichiganRocks Oh yeah! 😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@insp7]

Great review and info on the Leland Blues! Thanks so much!

[@ladikmk]

Have to agree with Nancy - the blue of the water is just beautiful. You found some truly amazing stones on this hunt. I’m thinking Cody might want to wear a full wetsuit even in Summer because he had some shakes going on there. I haven’t been to Leland yet but will definitely put this on my to-do list. Thanks for sharing - stay well.

[@MichiganRocks]

The water was pretty warm that day. This was filmed on Sept. 10. I noticed him shaking too, and was glad I had a wetsuit on.

[@michiganrockhounds]

I do have a wetsuit; but it's a full body suit that is somewhat of a pain to wear; so I only save it for early mornings or cold days. Otherwise, I'm pretty good at recognizing when I need a break, so a good 10 minutes to heat up and I'm good to go. I grew up on Huron so I learned to tough out the cold water pretty young haha.

[@dancrites453]

Great video! Nancy on the camera is a nice addition. I have a couple of spots on Torch where I snorkel. Fins help quite a bit if you aren't coming out of the water too often. Thanks for sharing...

[@MichiganRocks]

I have some fins that were my kids' that don't quite fit, but I can get them on. When I'm filming, everything on camera looks way faster than in real life, so I think I'm better off not having them on.

[@janshade]

Loved this video! All three of you did an excellent job exploring, explaining, narrating and recording. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@MichiganRocks]

You’re welcome, glad you liked it.

[@rachaelb9164]

My first time visiting the Great Lakes area I was amazed at how huge the lakes are. I grew up on the west coast and was used to the ocean but the waves at our beaches are so much bigger. I really want the explore Montana someday.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep, they are really, really big lakes. I think you're right about ocean waves generally being bigger, but Great Lakes waves can get really big too. Check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJKspn5rot98o6s

[@nancymcshane3501]

Shine your UV on the pale purple glass. Some of it fluoresces bubblegum pink! Another spot to find lots of green is just over the bridge to the UP on the right at the Kiwanis park!

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't have any of that glass. I always give glass away.

[@nancymcshane3501]

I meant the purplish slag Nancy found in this video. I found some that color there, and it looked like pink bubblegum under UV

[@MichiganRocks]

@@nancymcshane3501 Oh, ok. I'll give it a try.

[@ngohorsingaround]

What a great video!! I call that determination to snorkel for rocks like that. Here in Western Washington I just wait for low tide!! Nance, please collect some “cute” , colorful granites, some of your favorites and we can swap a box. !! Another rock lady, Nancy.

[@MichiganRocks]

No tides here, so that's not really an option. That would be fun to do it that way though.

[@1sec2midnight]

Cody gave a great explanation of what Leland blues are. Really amazing finds using the underwater method on a fine day at the beach. I would like to see what the lake looks like when it is stormy enough to wash the tree limbs onto the shore. The artsy portion of the video was actually very good. Thanks for sharing.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad you liked my mistake that resulted in the artsy part near the end. I hate when I accidentally have my camera in the wrong mode. The water levels were really high for the last few years. This year it was lower again. When the water was up, the shoreline really eroded a lot, causing whole trees to fall into the water. People also lost a lot of their front yards and many people had big rocks brought in to control the erosion. Houses were in danger of being washed in too.

[@1sec2midnight]

@@MichiganRocks I see, thanks.

[@markattardo]

👍Cool content....all of it👍Nice finds. Nice camera work and commentary by Nancy. Really enjoyed being underwater.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep, Nancy did a really nice job.

[@greatnorthernviews3052]

Love the underwater video. It’s cool.

[@wyomingadventures]

I didn't realize Leland slag has different colors. Interesting hearing Cody explaining it's history. Will check out his channel. Nancy does a great job with the camera and commentary. Always enjoy her in your videos. You guys live in a beautiful area! Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.

[@MichiganRocks]

Nancy has done a little camera work in a couple of videos before, but never a whole video like this one. I'm going to encourage her to do this more often.

[@jeffbrown307]

Good job with narration Nancy. I hope Rob kept those beautiful banded chert rocks. Continued success.

[@MichiganRocks]

I kept a couple of the better ones. I think Nancy did a good job too.

[@easterazali9237]

Great finds Rob and Cody ! I’m so glad you found that piece of blue Leland and didn’t come home empty handed Rob 😊👍

[@MichiganRocks]

I was just thankful I didn't have to lug so many home. Mine fit nicely in my pocket!

[@easterazali9237]

@@MichiganRocks and it is a nice one too ! I love it 😍

[@sandmaker]

Slag glass is always cool. You all three did well.👍😷⚒

[@captpaul8827]

Just getting to see this (been out to Denver for GSA conference), but great finds and nice narration by Nancy on this one.

[@MichiganRocks]

Nancy has been getting lots of positive comments for hosting this one. I think I might be in danger of losing my job.

[@carmenevans7651]

Darn kids with their sharp eyes. I finally got to see polished Petoskey stones. I was surprised to see that they have a surface texture when polished. Pretty interesting.

[@MichiganRocks]

You don't need good eyes to find them as big as he did. It took me a bit to know what to look for, but I still didn't find any huge ones like Cody did. I guess I did find some big ones, but not big, pretty ones.

[@icatz]

I wondered how you could see the blue in all the murkiness. Nice finds. I like the underwater photography. Nice coral find Nancy! TFS 💖💔🎸🏏

[@MichiganRocks]

Apparently, I couldn't! Cody sure could though.

[@jamesburke6078]

I just opened my first geode! Even after knowing what I can find it blew me away... like opening a diamond and seeing a thousand diamonds 😮

[@markhorn9239]

Been there a couple of times and been shut out. Finding these are not easy....nice work! Will bring my glass bottom bathyscaphe next time.....

[@MichiganRocks]

I have never been shut out, but I've never found anything nearly as good as what Cody found.

[@kaboom4679]

The old iron smelter slag we have here in Tennessee comes in those same shades of color . The bright blue is often swirled with white much like an agate . There is a dark to pistachio green which typically is full of bubbles and charcoal pieces . Then there is the amethyst purple stuff . Finding boulders with all the colors is pretty common and they used the slag for road metal and general fill so it is spread everywhere , not just around the old limestone furnaces .

[@MichiganRocks]

There are a lot of other places to find it in Michigan too. I found a purple swirly one up in Marquette a couple years ago that was really nice.

[@katiedid713926]

Cool, getting to see underwater and Nancy’s finds on shore as well.

[@MichiganRocks]

It's a little bit of everything! (Except drone shots, it was too windy.)

[@katiedid713926]

@@MichiganRocks yes, and Nancy did awesome job of showing the water and scenery like you do

[@katiedid713926]

@@MichiganRocks oh, and by the way, Rob, you rock the scuba gear.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@katiedid713926 Not exactly scuba, but thanks!

[@Automedon2]

Snorkeling in Hawaii is more colorful but there is always the possibility of something coming out of the depths and taking your leg of, so lakes are my preference

[@MichiganRocks]

I like my legs too.

[@virginiaphillips3946]

Another great video of your adventures. Yesterday, I was on a return flight from London and the plane's videoscreen showed the places we were flying over. Suddenly we were over Alpena, MI, and I was tickled to think of you and Nancy at that moment. :)

[@MichiganRocks]

That's fun! When I was a kid, I'd wave at planes. I don't think I waved to any yesterday though.

[@nancymcshane3501]

Some of those purple gray slags from Van’s Beach fluoresce bubblegum pink with UV. When I was at Calvert Cliffs last year, there was a Lady that had a scoop with a fryer basket catching shark’s teeth! I thought that might work with those hard to catch little blues at Leland, but the days I was there it was too rough;( going back to my favorite fossil site at Pipsico Scout Reserve, on the James River, across from Williamsburg. It’s a two day trip to get there, but I try to go every year. I will be hunting for the hard to find Ecphora! I am hoping the storm will have washed some down from the high banks! I always find lots of Whalebones and the giant scallop shells. Last year I found my first Tiger Shark’s tooth, on a beach. I grew up in Wild Kyle’s, Gainesville and lived near Rattlesnake Creek, so I have been picking up teeth for over 60 years now! At Pipsico we hunt at night with UV for Calcite Clams!

[@MichiganRocks]

I had to look up "Ecphora". Those look really cool. That was a lot of fun hunting with Kyle down in Florida. I don't get to hunt outside of Michigan much, but it's fun when I do.

[@berjo77]

What a team! This is one of your best productions to date, creating a wonderful library of “how-to” records for all future rock hounds. And the ‘blues! Outstanding! Thanks to the whole team! (I’ve always felt going under with a mask on would yield more finds, I need one replacement hose and my scuba is ready!)

[@MichiganRocks]

In a lot of places, the rocks in deeper water are covered in sediment or algae, so it's not always better. It worked well here, though.

[@berjo77]

@@MichiganRocks yes, I’ve seen exactly what you are talking about. The 30~40 foot visibility conditions on your adventure were just right and rare. Take the second beach for example, turbulence caused the fish leavings to float up and cut visibility to 1~2 feet. Still better than the shoreline on Lake St Clair on a good day.

[@chance1986]

Really interesting rocks, or perhaps "slag" is more descriptive. I learned a lot. And good production value btw. The multiple cuts from Nancy talking on the beach, to the underwater scenes made me smile. Like you were down there the whole time. Anyway, lots of fun overall.

[@MichiganRocks]

I was down there most of the time. Cody and I spent about two hours in the water before lunch and another two hours in after lunch. The sequence of events was as close to accurate as I could make it. The underwater GoPro hadn't been used in awhile, so the clock was wrong. I pieced things together based on what we showed Nancy each time we came to shore.

[@letitialouison7311]

Awesome video ❤️ thanks Cody

[@scottprather5645]

Yeah they got the same thing in New York state I lived in the Adirondacks 45 years ago there was this antique- blue iron ore slag tons of it everywhere they paved the roads with it. We found some of the old iron ore mines from the time of the civil War when there was a big demand for iron to feed the war effort for the north Some of the iron was used to build the USS monitor the ironclad ship in the battle of Hampton roads against the Confederacy.

[@MichiganRocks]

Slag is common in a lot of places, but somehow this particular slag got famous. Jewelry made of this goes for quite a bit for some reason.

[@scottprather5645]

@@MichiganRocks yeah slag is common but I haven't seen that blue color in any other place.

[@michiganprospectors]

We find a lot of nice samples out in the water like that as well. I have found some areas that are quite heavily loaded with Leland Blues and Frankfort Greens that we like to visit. I am hoping to make jewelry out of them one day.

[@MichiganRocks]

I need to find a big one. Next summer!

[@michiganprospectors]

@@MichiganRocks My wife and I had our hands on a HUGE one at Christmas a year ago. We dug and dug around it just on the edge of the water. But we could not lift it. Too heavy. lol.

[@noellecurran6912]

this inspired me to snorkel for rocks! Lol Great video, Ive watched twice now!

[@MichiganRocks]

Heck, watch it again, it's free!

[@MICHIGANROCKBOX]

Looks great Rob 🤿🪨

[@debbypetty8685]

Nancy that rock was definitely cute. My husband says we don’t buy or take things home because they are cute. I said then I wouldn’t have brought him home to meet my parents 28 years ago. 😂😂 All three of you found some great treasures.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yeah, it was kind of cute. I don't have a problem with rocks being called cute.

[@reeree6682]

Great fun. TFS

[@leslyeschoenhuth3515]

* WildKyle & his mother went to find Leland Blue stones last year (I think).. It is Very Interesting to find out exactly why it is there.. So Cool.. THANKS!!

[@MichiganRocks]

He was back again this year for some more. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKrZnJemqLuohqc

[@ccvgems8754]

This was an awesome adventure! Wowzer! Unbelievable finds! I love the two camera perspective. Nancy’s on shore was 👍👏. The underwater view was tooo cool! I would give a leg for Cody’s finds 😮🤯. Not that you, Rob, didn’t find some great things. I was loving all the underwater Petoskey stones. Thanks so much for sharing this episode ❤ Stay Crystal 💫 Mari

[@MichiganRocks]

No, Cody really showed me up this time. I need to get back there next summer to do this again. I'd love to have a couple of big ones like he found.

[@ccvgems8754]

@@MichiganRocks I bet!

[@LaLadybug2011]

WoW! Those blue's are beautiful❤️. Cody is a born teacher-thanks for the great video y'all.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, Cody knows his stuff!

[@MarciaLeeful]

Awesome Blues!!!

[@normawinton6832]

Nice Leland boys but the wife was finding some beautiful fossils and chirt!

[@teeteepalooza]

good skills Nancy! you always find little gems. Rob the artsy bit was fun! 🤪 really loved your final blue

[@MichiganRocks]

Sometimes when you mess up, it turns out ok.

[@davidl.turner1005]

Thanks for the underwater perspective. Great job Nancy. Have you ever looked for blue slag East of the Bay Furnace campground West of Munising? Lately we’ve found ragged shards of it, not like the rounded pebbles and rocks at Leland.

[@MichiganRocks]

In Christmas? Yes, I brought some home once, but it wasn't very pretty. It was more like black obsidian. I ended up taking it back.

[@michiganrockhounds]

Fun hounding with you again Rob! Super sad your camera decided to go on the fritz when I found that big blue lodged in the rock- was afraid of that. We'll have to plan out another Leland video in the future so we're not getting hammered by white caps.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep, that was a fun day. I really don't like that timelapse mode on my camera. That's not the first time I've had it on by mistake.

[@kimdedominicis6893]

I find blue and green slag here in NW Ct in the Housatonic River. It looks exactly like your finds. I throw it into the tumbler with other rocks and it comes out nice. Not perfectly smooth but the blue shines nicely.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm going to tumble a batch of this soon. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does. Thanks for letting me know it does well.

[@sawedoffbastard8078]

Wow....must be cold water!

[@francinehibiscus350]

Yeah it is!!

[@MichiganRocks]

Actually, this was filmed about a month ago and the water was really nice. I felt a little silly wearing a wetsuit, but we were in the water for about two hours straight before lunch and about the same amount of time after lunch.

[@francinehibiscus350]

@@MichiganRocks still cold, Rob! I might get a wetsuit for next year...

[@debispilker4392]

Wow! How pretty!

[@jonathangee9348]

Nice video Rob.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks, Jonathan.

[@lelonbond6682]

they used molders sand to cast iron gears and such .when the hot metal was poured it fused the sand into glass.then when the mold cooled they broke the glass off the gear .i have some that is black and looks like obsidian. .

[@MichiganRocks]

That's interesting. I guess there's more than one way to get slag glass.

[@michiganrockhounds]

Hello! This particular glass came from molten material high in silica content where the silica originated as impurities pulled from iron ores in the UP. To become glass; the slag must be rapidly hydrated with water in order to prevent silica and other constituents from crystallizing. Slag did flow into sandy channels, and it did fuse to the sand (sometimes with pebbles, too) but the sand isn't entirely what made the glass; it was the material that remained molten from the furnace. This furnace didn't produce gears or specialized tools; but pig iron. A process which is a bit different from casting iron into shaped tools.

[@LadyYoop]

This is so intereresting.....wow!

[@JhonDiamond2021]

Happy hunting friends, hope you find the best stone.

[@migglemaggle9500]

Enjoyment. Loved it.

[@nicolagraynewzealandrockho8976]

Love the blue, it's so pretty. Interesting video. Love the underwater footage

[@MichiganRocks]

In most places, the rocks out in deeper water get covered in sediment and algae. I think this beach gets more regular wave action that keeps the rocks clean a little farther out, so snorkeling makes more sense here.

[@sharonbaxter9233]

nice job running the camera , you had some good fines. at least Rob got one nice blue 👍

[@MichiganRocks]

I wasn't totally skunked. That's good!

[@heathervannatter364]

So cool!!

[@vongtaynhanaikptt6066]

This realy very nice video well done my dear friend thank y for sharing

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome.

[@kaloncar]

Appreciate the underwater camera footage.

[@GregtheGrey6969]

Milwaukee area beaches are covered in the light blues.

[@MichiganRocks]

You should pick all those up and give them a fancy name like "Leland Blue".

[@heatherlawrence1896]

Nice finds!!! You both looked cold but well worth it.

[@MichiganRocks]

The water was actually pretty warm. This was on Sept. 10. I wore a wetsuit because I didn't know that the water would be so nice and because I was going to be in for hours at a time.

[@heatherlawrence1896]

@@MichiganRocks that is good 👍

[@MelissaThompson432]

Tennessee is pocked with pig iron furnaces, and I have some very glassy blue slag from Montgomery County. I see that Leland Blue can be gem cut. I don't think my slag can be cut; it's pretty brittle.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, this stuff is used to make a lot of jewelry. It's pretty popular here in Michigan.

[@ruthchapman3847]

Have to get that on my list for next year

[@MarkBarville]

You look ready to do some diving in Kona now. 👍

[@MichiganRocks]

Do I look ready? I wasn't in water over my head in this video.

[@MarkBarville]

@@MichiganRocks Yes, you look comfortable! Unfortunately, the only rocks we have here are lava or coral.

[@francinehibiscus350]

How do you prepare or process these honking boulders??

[@MichiganRocks]

I plan to tumble some and make a video about how that goes. The only thing I have done with Leland Blue in the past is to make a small cab for a belt buckle. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4enmZSul5mfbq8

[@sparband]

The beaches and water color are so pretty there. I liked the bright blue rocks. They are such an unusual color. How do those polish up?

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm going to tumble a batch soon. I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, I made a small cab of it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4enmZSul5mfbq8

[@sparband]

@@MichiganRocks Ok. Thanks.

[@Passion4jesus3]

Love the sounds of the waves 🌊 when was this video taken because it’s too cold now to go underwater snorkeling!

[@MichiganRocks]

This was on September 10. I made quite a few videos in short period of time, so I have a bit of a backlog. The water was really pretty warm that day. I wore a wetsuit because we were in for two hours before lunch and another two after.

[@nancygaxiola5412]

It looks like the rocks underwater have some kind of scum over them now that it's pretty neat the end, you sur did find some pie es though!

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, that's why I don't snorkel for rocks more often. Most beaches are worse than this one. There's either algae or sediment on the deeper rocks. The shallower rocks stay cleaned of by the breaking waves.

[@IvanLopez-zh3xz]

Great episode man!!

[@DownriverRocks]

Awe. I love the closeness of the hunt. How can we tell the difference between mudstone and that grey banded churt ? The waxyness or thickness of bands?

[@MichiganRocks]

Banded chert is much harder and has conchoidal fractures. Have you ever seen a thick piece of glass chipped? It chips in a roundish or almost seashell shape. That's a conchoidal fracture. Chert also has a waxy look to it.

[@DownriverRocks]

Ok, thanks, I can never tell them apart. Sometimes there’s no mistaken it, but sometimes I feel like I haven’t a clue.😂❤️

[@patriciamckean4186]

Beautiful slag...I found green in a creek in SW Michigan???? Need to do research to find out if there was a processing plant near by.

[@MichiganRocks]

It seems weird that they'd ship ore that far south, but maybe.

[@insp7]

Thank you ,thank you, great content .Always an education ❤

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome!

[@silvergirl7810]

What a beautiful place and what beautiful finds! Now do you polish those by hand or just leave them?

[@MichiganRocks]

I tumbled some recently. I think I'd rather just keep them natural in the future.

[@leslyeschoenhuth3515]

* Lots of Petoskey stones ~ funny when you are looking for Leland Bl

[@MichiganRocks]

You've watched a few of my videos. You know that it would be impossible for me to pass up Petoskey Stone.

[@leodapat9139]

Watching from pinas setio Palanog Garita San Enrique Iloilo thx gd.

[@appleatchaadventure7664]

No, it's definitely cute!

[@MichiganRocks]

Would you go so far as to call it a cutie patootie?