black limestone

Quoted text begins.Thats an interesting idea for a place to get stone. Living in this area
I've slowly developed the (possibly wrong) notion that one simply
couldn't do that
End of quote.

Hi Norman;
since I do bead shows along the east coast, you're right about how in
developed areas really you can't go around picking up anything you want, and
it's amazing how in 1 generation how developed the land has become. Here in
Western Mass, there's still alot of woods, the land is pretty hilly, rocky,
and no-one cares if you take a rock from a river, creek. There are quarries
here too, like Lee Lime in Lee, Specialty Minerals in N. Adams, and times
I've gone those places, usually I go on a weekend, and get permission from
whoever answers the phone, and a name, on a Friday. Our Connecticut Valley
Mineral Club is big into permission collecting so I adhere to our standards.
This black limestone is like carving solidified dirt if you must know,
though, and its shot through with folded quartz veins, so beautiful as
sculpture stone, not so useful as quarry stone.
Your local mineral clubs would have great ideas on legal places to aquire
material. I'm trying now to contact the clubs in Bucks county PA, as my
brother lives there, and when I do shows around there I'd like to collect
limestone from there as I hear there are alot of quarries thereabouts.
Anyone know of any?

Wendy Chicoine (sorry if this is too long)