pizzano
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Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Feb 17, 2018 15:03:27 GMT -5
Here's a few pic's of some of the material we collected from our last trip. Only brought back two 5 gallon buckets......got tired of lugging around the tools and buckets on the steep and slippery (shale footing) embankments.........and we are and practice conservative collecting. Some of the rough we sorted for tumble........lots of chipping, grinding and most of you know the drill...! A few pieces of the rough Opal (common and precious) A few pieces after four stages of rotary tumble........have yet to continue with vibe on these.......since Opal is soft, it's a little tricky to maintain the quality of the mother rock without also losing to much Opal.......Still learning how to do this.
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Feb 18, 2018 10:10:31 GMT -5
Pretty neat finds. Is that the Opal Mountain near Black Mountain in Commiefornia? Years ago we used to ride all over there in our trail bikes and man were there some huge t-eggs. Lot of matrix and small centers though. We found lots of opal but unfortunately none with good fire. Worth going in there just for the petroglyphs though. Some of those canyons were loaded with them.....Mel
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pizzano
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Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Feb 18, 2018 12:21:12 GMT -5
Pretty neat finds. Is that the Opal Mountain near Black Mountain in Commiefornia? Years ago we used to ride all over there in our trail bikes and man were there some huge t-eggs. Lot of matrix and small centers though. We found lots of opal but unfortunately none with good fire. Worth going in there just for the petroglyphs though. Some of those canyons were loaded with them.....Mel
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Feb 18, 2018 12:39:38 GMT -5
Pretty neat finds. Is that the Opal Mountain near Black Mountain in Commiefornia? Years ago we used to ride all over there in our trail bikes and man were there some huge t-eggs. Lot of matrix and small centers though. We found lots of opal but unfortunately none with good fire. Worth going in there just for the petroglyphs though. Some of those canyons were loaded with them.....Mel Yes it is......We always stop by the Petro's when go out there..........the last two trips to Opal Mtn. have been a bit more work. In order to find anything worth talking about we have had to go higher up and deeper into the canyons.......the place has never really been a "secret". Last trip we talked to a Ranger who told us that he and another officer witnessed a crowd of about 12 carrying buckets and buckets and buckets up and down the mtn........of who know's what......dumping it into a 1 ton Dodge 4x4 bed.......guess they really thought they had something.......maybe they did......?
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Feb 18, 2018 18:37:20 GMT -5
Yeah, we got on the wrong side of a mountain out there one time and had to semi walk the trail bikes over the top. The top was littered with huge uncracked eggs. Took a couple big ones home to cut. Very much a let down. Three inches of matrix with about a one inch center of brownish chalcedony in one and plain white opal in the other. Next trip redirected our efforts to over near the Irwin boundary toward Lead Pipe Springs. Got some nice eggs there, some with amethyst and most with purple botryoidal centers. As I recall, the digging was really difficult and the eggs few though....Mel
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Post by rmf on Feb 18, 2018 22:10:37 GMT -5
pizzano Is the first image Purpurite?
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pizzano
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Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Feb 19, 2018 0:13:27 GMT -5
pizzano Is the first image Purpurite? I'm not really sure....more than likely traces of either Argentite and or Chrysocolla......I carry a little kit I made that has a couple of vials of Muriatic and Nitrous acids. When applied to a few of the stones shown Nitrous bubbled on a few of them, not so much with the muriatic.........both of those elements are pretty common around the mtn......silver has been mined and there's lot's of signs of different types of ore blended within the granite that is everywhere.
I'm no geologist, but my civil engineer soils back ground helps me with identifications (yes, I read books too....lol).......and if I can't figure it out, I have access to Geotechs who help me out.........kinda lucky with that aspect.
Note:
That photo was taken with one of my really old digitals......it may have been set-up with filters.....thus the color issue. I don't always pay attention when shooting piles of rough.........many of those pic's just get filed away on my PC as reference for memory......my memory (brain) is limited, don't have many GB's left, what I do have is saved for the more important things in life, like remembering where I put my car keys.....lol
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,630
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Post by NRG on Mar 1, 2018 18:59:42 GMT -5
That's really cool. Never saw true purple in Cali. Need to go there.
Purpurite is a phosphate like turquoise but manganese not copper. Any chance you have a phosphate test kit?
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pizzano
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Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Mar 1, 2018 19:20:57 GMT -5
No.....do not test for phosphates. Leave that up to the Geotech's when I have something I believe is "really" special or I cannot ID.....so far, have not bumped into anything that has "rocked" me......considering the source (lower Southern Mojave Desert) and my ability to mine, I don't hound much deeper than a coupe of feet.
Note:
To date, I have yet to find any Opal with visible Chalcedony traits at the locations we've been to in that region....... Have had a few large banded specimens, once cut/cracked, that possessed a little "precious" material, but it is fragile and will/have not survived any tumbling with 60/90 (in order to cut and reduce the Granite type mother material). Some have managed to survive 120/220, but lost volume as they continued thru the cycles........only a suggestion based on my experience, if one is looking for Opal in a "gem" class category at Opal Mountain, be prepared to dig and chip deep into what veins remain along the cliff side of the mnt..........wish you luck and happy hounding.......never know what one may turn-up with.
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 2, 2018 11:08:52 GMT -5
Sweet looking material...SCORE!
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,630
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Post by NRG on Mar 2, 2018 14:54:13 GMT -5
pizzanoFor the princely sum of $9.00 you may own a phosphate test kit! Useful to rule out turquoise and today purpurite! Super user friendly meant for the aquarium trade.
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Mar 2, 2018 18:24:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip NRG.......I'm sure I have a marine test kit around here some place.........over the years I have had a couple of "reef" tanks, coral a plenty. My Dad was big into marine aquariums. After he passed away, I took over most of his collection. But over the years started to run out of space to maintain 100gal set-ups. Just sold the last of them. Kept his 50gal......I prefer African Cichlids. Someday I'll set it up again.
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,630
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Post by NRG on Mar 2, 2018 19:35:37 GMT -5
It's amazing what is available for retail sale inexpensively in pet or feed stores.
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