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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 14, 2005 11:52:37 GMT -5
I have received a stash of rocks and one of them is a chunk of geode (rock with crystals inside). Can this be tumbled (the regular way)? What does it look like once tumbled? Does it all polish up at the same rate?
I may be getting more of this stuff, I especially like the amethyst geodes and my nephew may bring me a chunk of some of this - if I can get a piece and polish it off for him that would be a nice gift for him
Has anyone done this?
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Post by mrbrett on Feb 14, 2005 12:36:02 GMT -5
I have a few smaller than an egg geodes that are solid. I have them tumbling right now. I'm hoping that the outer "shell" grinds off leaving the crystals. We'll see!
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,094
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Post by stefan on Feb 14, 2005 12:48:03 GMT -5
I have "busted up" Geodes (solid so I guess they really are not geodes) and tumbled them with good results (by my low low standards) Placing the entire thing in with the hopes of "grinding away" the outer shell should work (but I invision like a 6 month grind!)
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 14, 2005 12:53:49 GMT -5
What I have is a piece with the outer shell and the crystals inside exposed the whole thing must have been about 6-8 inches across before opening - I guess I wanted to know what happens to the crystals when you tumble them? Do they detach or crack & fracture or can they be tumbled with the outer shell with good results (I'm with Stefan, anything decent is excellent compared to what I've produced so far ) But I'm working on a wide variety of stuff on this current batch - I'm probably tumbling incompatible material (due to my lack of knowledge) I just home the stones come out good as they were beautiful even before tumbling....
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on Feb 14, 2005 15:47:18 GMT -5
Throw a geode in the tumbler and it will be toast. If you must experiment, do so with a cheap bits of Brazilian amethyst geode; the crystals will wear off leaving the greyish banded quartz rind, which is much tougher.
SirRoxalot
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 14, 2005 16:17:04 GMT -5
REALLY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I don't remember if I chucked it in with my batch. So it's only good for display or something right? What are they used for then?
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 14, 2005 17:14:05 GMT -5
So if I have nowhere to display them it's no use to have them. If I'm feeling rather creative, could I take out the crystals inside to tumble them? If yes, how do I get them out?
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kd7cot
having dreams about rocks
Having too much fun!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 64
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Post by kd7cot on Feb 14, 2005 22:01:54 GMT -5
Tweedie, You want to "flatlap" or flat grind and polish the Geode side. Don't break out the crystals and polish them - they'll disapear in your batch. The solid "thundereggs" or geode 'duds' will polish great as they are solid agate, but the hollow ones with the crystals are geodes, and the crystals are fragile. So yes they are pretty much a display item. Though I've thought about flat polishing a few broken pices and then wirewrapping them.... (Hmmm ponder, may do that). Hope this helps, Jeff
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 15, 2005 7:29:41 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, I'm not one to have "decorative" items around the house - nothing in this house lasts - everyone breaks everything So I guess I'll stay away from those geodes. My next question: why would the crystals just dissapear - aren't they some kind of stone? If you could detach them and tumble them aren't they still crystals (ie amethyst crystals)?
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Feb 15, 2005 8:31:46 GMT -5
I've found "Thundereggs", but I've never found a true "Geode". However I was always under the impression that the crystals were Quartz (which includes Amethyst). They should tumble like any other Quartz rock, they just won't look like cystals anymore. I would also think that the pieces would end up quite small. If the crystals are good and clear, I would think that faceting would be a better use for them. Of course I don't facet so that means that I'd end up tumbling them! Ron
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,094
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Post by stefan on Feb 15, 2005 10:25:44 GMT -5
You can tumble the crystals- They are just so small that there is not much left when your done.
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Post by hermatite on Feb 15, 2005 10:30:28 GMT -5
Okay so if you tumble it, how do you get the grit out of the crystals enough to prevent cross contamination. I'm not even understanding why you'd want to tumble it in the first place. Aren't the crystals inside the geode already shiney and kind of miraculous? I must be missing what you mean when you say you want to extract the crystals. Why not just buy amythest rough? (scratching my head here).
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,094
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Post by stefan on Feb 15, 2005 13:14:05 GMT -5
I think what we are talking about is a chunk of one- not a half or anything- And getting the grit out of the crystals would be next to impossible (good point) You would have to grind them down to nothing- OK tweet hope that chunk did not go into the barrel!
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 15, 2005 13:48:52 GMT -5
I didn't put it in the barrel, I guess i'll give it to the kids. Not something that I would need around anyways. I guess it must be neat to crack one open to see what's inside but as for having it around for decoration.... I'll pass... it has white crystals inside, but the outside looks very interesting, wouldn't have minded to tumble that...
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 15, 2005 18:28:41 GMT -5
Mine looked a bit like that, nothing as nice as that though, but the principle is the same only much smaller crystals. I guess the kids could get that piece - though the rock it's attached to is VERY nice - I may tumble it anyways... not sure yet
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Feb 15, 2005 22:44:19 GMT -5
I polished some thunder eggs about a year ago. I broke them up and polished them and I think they look neat. The center is a milky smooth look. It looks great as you can get 1/2 with the "Lens" showing and part of the middle. I bought them off ebay and they were not much..I dont regret doing it at all.
Dwight P
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Post by puppie96 on Feb 16, 2005 0:18:25 GMT -5
A lot of the MO rock is geodey if there's such a word, I find half spheres with crystals in the center or down in crevices. I've been tumbling them and sometimes the surfaces get polished up but down there in the hollow the crystals remain. What you've got there would probably have to be ground down smooth, betcha the crystals will fracture off while tumbling and you will have no other choice but totally smooth. I've had chunks of amethyst attached to matrix rock that I've tumbled as is, I like the look of it mixed with the host rock and it all polished great, but along the way the amethyst fractured and fractured (there have been many posts about this problem).
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stonedagain
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2004
Posts: 114
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Post by stonedagain on Feb 16, 2005 6:56:12 GMT -5
Hi Tweety, I just took some geodes that I broke up out of my tumbler this past weekend. The outsides didn't take too much of a shine, but the insides are fantastic. If you're looking for an all over polish, I think you'll be disappointed, but I'm happy with what I got. The geodes that I had were not crystals inside, but solid and clear.
Rhonda
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Post by Tweetiepy on Feb 16, 2005 10:46:15 GMT -5
My mom has a few rocks that are white, round (completely round) and they look like button mushrooms or eggs. I'll try to post a picture. I'm reluctant to crack it open - they're so cute and I'm afraid that I'd ruin it and the inside would only hold more of what is on the outside.). She's had them next to her driveway for years and everytime I'd think that some bird left it's eggs there... Would this be a geode or thunder egg?
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Feb 16, 2005 11:18:43 GMT -5
Geodes and Thundereggs - I have a geode that I cracked with a hammer and chisel and I will not tumble the part with internal crystals but one half has very little and I might tumble it - I hope the outside shell wears away to white....I have some thunder eggs and last weekend cut two open with a 6inch trim saw...I imagine they would be better suited for a vibe tumbler than a rotary
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