I am really bummed out on a trade transaction I made via the forum Dirty Rockhounds.  One person was pleased with what I sent and recommended me for another trade.  Another person didn't say anything.  The third person was "dissapointed", and very sarcastic with me.  Her reaction left me dumbfounded.

The last cabochon my 96 year old grandfather made was  brown stromatolite which is not flashy but is very interesting.  It is an 8 billion year old MN fossil, the earliest life form.  Red stromatolites are considered gem quality.  I sent her both.  My parents and grandparents signed a waiver and went into the now underwater Mary  Ellen mine to gather this material.  Larvikite, from Norway, also known as Swedish blue pearl, is the stone we used to make both my grandfather’s and mother’s gravestones.  A friend who works in mines has been to all 3 larvikite quarries in Norway.  90 percent goes to waste because it has to be cut at just the right angle to take advantage of the “sparkles”.  My uncle made it into beautiful belt buckles.  I could go on and on.  Every stone has a story.  Since she was so unhappy I offered twice to send out another box if she would send me her mailing address again.  But I got no response.  It makes me wonder if my family has been dealing in such worthless crap for over sixty years maybe we shouldn’t have been in business in the first place.