|
Post by deb193redux on Jul 8, 2012 18:25:11 GMT -5
I got a small faced piece of this sometime late spring. I think from ebay, but it could have been from the KC show in March. It is not metallic, but the different shades of green do seem to almost shimmer in the clear agate. More like the shine that you see on talc, or sometimes on the skin of epidote. But this did not undercut and seems to have uniform hardness. I think it is some mineral in agate, but possibly there has been silica replacement to give the uniform hardness. Or, maybe on the grinding wheel I will see the undercutting. I think the clear parts photographed a little dark. Maybe because the lightest part of the green messed with the metering in the camera. There are some cracks to work around, but I can still see some nice shapes. I am not planning to work it anytime soon, but I sent a slab to NatureNut, so maybe we will see a cab before too long. I have no idea what exactly this is, so an ID would be great.
|
|
itsandbits
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 825
|
Post by itsandbits on Jul 8, 2012 21:47:49 GMT -5
I really like this material with the subtle wavy patter running in it. What kind of break does it do. splintery fracture, concoidal, or rough crystal?
|
|
|
Post by deb193redux on Jul 8, 2012 21:51:10 GMT -5
it is not macro crystal. more like the brittle fractures in az pet wood, but they do seem semi-healed. did not fall apart on the saw.
|
|
|
Post by tandl on Jul 9, 2012 13:07:01 GMT -5
Not sure but may be jade from west coast US.
|
|
|
Post by deb193redux on Jul 9, 2012 13:10:44 GMT -5
hmm, it would have to be a jade in agate. is that common?
|
|
|
Post by NatureNut on Jul 9, 2012 13:13:17 GMT -5
I just received the slab and it is beautiful. Although there was one crack, it nice to cut and I am cabbing it now. (well, after I finish typing this) My longshot guess is that it looks like chrysotile in a green silica. Jo
|
|
|
Post by digdug on Jul 9, 2012 13:14:09 GMT -5
It is nice looking material.
|
|
|
Post by 3rdrockfromthefun on Jul 9, 2012 14:27:56 GMT -5
Wow, that is one crazy luster it has - and it looks like each piece is entombing something green, lol - very neat.
|
|
|
Post by tandl on Jul 9, 2012 14:52:24 GMT -5
Jo may be on to it , as i look again, is it opalite ?
|
|
|
Post by geoff on Jul 9, 2012 15:54:39 GMT -5
Does anyone else on here do mineral testing? Like specific gravity, resistivity, thermal conductivity...? Should be able to ID it real fast. I can usually nail down an ID in 10 minutes on stuff I find. I just need hardness, streak, specific gravity, and any special properties (magnetic, phosphorescence, fluorescence, radioactivity...)
|
|
|
Post by deb193redux on Jul 9, 2012 17:28:26 GMT -5
yes, but when the mineral to be tested is permiated by an agate matrix, how do these tests work?
|
|
|
Post by geoff on Jul 9, 2012 21:15:38 GMT -5
Resistivity cares not what your matrix is.
|
|
|
Post by deb193redux on Jul 9, 2012 21:26:40 GMT -5
yes, that one you could get. specific gravity and thermal conductivity would be problematic. ... I guess you could also get radioactivity, phosphorescence, and fluorescence
saw a lot of this done when I worked with geophysicists and geochemistry
usually I work with almost 100% agate and jasper, don't even fuss much with copper oxides. Gave away my hardness test points because the only ones I ever used were 6 and 7.
How about I send you a small piece of both greens and you see what you come up with?
|
|
|
Post by NatureNut on Jul 9, 2012 21:34:13 GMT -5
That would be cool. I hope to be able to show the cabs in a couple of days. Jo
|
|
hand2mouthmining
spending too much on rocks
Purveyors of California Gem Rock
Member since September 2011
Posts: 495
|
Post by hand2mouthmining on Jul 10, 2012 10:50:17 GMT -5
Deb, it looks a lot like some of the subduction chert/agate we get out in the Panoche Hills. These deep subduction materials feature brecciated material from seabed formations, agatized at high pressure up to 4 miles below the surface. You'll see examples of these on our "other rock" page at our website. (Sorry, not promoting, just can't access the photo url on this iPad.)
So, to me, the material looks like included clays or breciated materials such as serpentine or magnesite. Subduction material, indeed!
Kris Hand-2-Mouth Mining
|
|