agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 25, 2006 22:45:15 GMT -5
Some time ago I read an article that told the various effects of different minerals / metals in the ground water and the color effects they had on agate formation. Someone asked me a couple days ago as to what made agate BLUE. I've turned my library upside down and can't find the article. Were going into the third day of a prolonged senior moment here and it's drivin me nuts. Would someone please help me
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Post by deb193 on Oct 25, 2006 23:27:03 GMT -5
While a more complex set of mineralimpurities could be at work, the different colors are the result of trace minerals in the solution. Copper, cobalt, and chromium give a green or blue color; iron creates red, brown, and yellow; and carbon makes the rock black.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 25, 2006 23:31:12 GMT -5
Thank you very much.
Now I can FINALLY go to sleep.!!!!
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 25, 2006 23:31:40 GMT -5
Actually, the Great Rock Maker in the Sky had a surplus of blue dye one day and ...............
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 26, 2006 0:04:27 GMT -5
and he listed it on E-Bay in a .01 cent auction. Some fool in Russia got the whole lot and painted half the rock in the country before he sobered up enough to realize what he was doing. I heard the same story and thought it was a pile of B. S. . ITS TRUE I have some Russan agate, BIG ones, and there the prettiest blue you ever seen. I will look up the web site that i got them from and post it here tomorrow if I can find it. Someone might want to check it out.
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 26, 2006 0:11:37 GMT -5
It would be nice to see a picture of what you are mentioning. I have some blue chalcedoney that has polished well for me.
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on Oct 26, 2006 0:24:24 GMT -5
Hrmmmm. Isn't a great deal of the blue agate one sees at shows dyed? Blue lace from Namibia is my fave. Gorgeous, natural material, cabs and tumbles beautifully.
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 26, 2006 1:54:43 GMT -5
Yes, the deep blues are usually dyed. My chalcedoney has none of the white of blue lace, and just a bit more sky blue. It is quite pretty, but I only have a little left. My buyer likes it.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 26, 2006 6:21:23 GMT -5
these are NOT dyed slices , they are whole nodules. They were mined back in the 70's near Kavkaz Russia. There are several nodules up for bid this week and they can be seen at:
myworld.ebay.com/vsarian
They are neat, Check em out !!!
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 26, 2006 11:20:34 GMT -5
Yes, he has some nice stone there. It is not quite as blue as that which I had, which I believe was from Turkey. He does have one seven pounder there that I would like to cut, but alas, my saw is too small.
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Post by gemkoi on Oct 26, 2006 14:05:23 GMT -5
good thread. Ive bought rough from vsarian when he frist started sellin on ebay years ago. was able to get a hold of some super fine Purple Nodules from him. Very gelly stuff, sold a cab of the purple on ebay for over $65 when i closed my store months ago. I also love working good Blue chalcedony and am finishing up this week a nice set for a client of Turkish Blue. But the Malawi blue is nice stuff too.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Oct 26, 2006 18:41:07 GMT -5
checked the color of the russian agate against my collection of Blue lace tonight, the different shades of blue are an exact match, the only difference I could see between the two was the blue lace has finer banding. I will probably sit here long enough to get myself all excited and go and buy another hunk of the stuff.
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Post by cina on Oct 27, 2006 10:11:35 GMT -5
I have found a lot of blue rock in Wyoming but it is a sky blue :S
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