Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 15, 2022 16:29:45 GMT -5
That's called " Geode Matrix" There is a small deposit near the geode beds by the Naches River in Washington state. I have a monster boulder I mined at that deposit.
Apologies, my memory screwed up. My notes say the correct term on the old map I had was "thunderegg matrix". It occurred in a big vein about ten inches thick in a muddy road cut. I got muddy head to toe digging out two big bounders and then gave the best of them, a super pretty one, to a friend to cut a sphere, as it was too big for my saw. He was supposed to give me the trim scraps for cabbing and slabbing but never heard from him again. Basically, it's just mini t-eggs sometimes scrunched together in a greenish to golden rhyolite matrix, very like rainforest jasper. The solid sections with the most t-eggs take good polish. I'll take a couple pics and post them when I have time.
I should have the old map in one of my books. I'll try to post it if I find the driving directions
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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 Oct 15, 2022 16:23:39 GMT -5
Looks very much like Gem Hill palm bog from near Rosamund, CA. It is full of little palm rootlets and often had nice oranges and greens too. There is palm at Horse Canyon too.
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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 Oct 15, 2022 16:19:32 GMT -5
Looks almost like the geode conglomerate from Woodward ranch.
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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 Oct 15, 2022 16:17:34 GMT -5
Yes, actually travertine, not agate type onyx. Takes a wonderful polish with ease but it fractures easily if you overheat it.
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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 Oct 15, 2022 16:13:33 GMT -5
Wow! That is super rare as is the beautiful lace agate from that mine. I believe it is all buried under overburden now.
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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 Oct 11, 2022 15:57:51 GMT -5
Graveyard Point Plume can be silica infused even if it breaks the surface and can polish as well as the agate itself. I'd polish a piece on wheels or in a tumbler and see how yours does.
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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 Oct 11, 2022 15:51:51 GMT -5
If you go to your local library, you can look for the most recent version of Bulletin 173, Minerals of California from the Division of mines. it will list garnet locations from all over the state. You can also check out Sinkankas' volume 1+2 Gemstones of North America which lists locations for garnet state by state. To determine access, I'd either check with the Division of mines or BLM, if the mine you see is on public land. BLM has great maps showing mines for every district as does the Division of mines.
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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 Oct 11, 2022 15:35:00 GMT -5
The brown one appears to be Polish Flint. Gem silica is basically copper infused chalcedony so can be found in small quantities many copper mining districts. The specimen you have does resemble Needles Blue Agate which is a rare type of gem silica from California.
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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 Oct 5, 2022 17:36:04 GMT -5
Your trip reports are always the best Brian. Wonderful finds all, but that red moss is a beauty as are some of those vein agates.
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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 Oct 5, 2022 17:34:01 GMT -5
Wow, what an incredible wilderness area! Spider though is a White Banded Fishing Spider, not a wolf spider. We have them here in Texas too.
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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 Sept 26, 2022 17:00:31 GMT -5
I seem to remember lizard stone is in the serpentine family and is definitely not a jasper, hence the softness.
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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 Sept 21, 2022 17:35:07 GMT -5
Big fan of dendritic agate. Those are nice!
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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 Sept 18, 2022 18:14:05 GMT -5
You might check and see if Hattie Stillwell's rch is still open down towards Big Bend. it has material very similar to Rio Grande gravel and lots of good colorful pet wood.
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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 Sept 16, 2022 17:10:20 GMT -5
Yep, there is black jasper but deep true black is actually pretty scarce. I used to have a big block I found at Lavic Siding, of all places. But most are really deep gray if you polish them.
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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 Sept 16, 2022 16:52:59 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Got me a PM on this so it's off the market now.
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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 Sept 13, 2022 16:46:53 GMT -5
Yep, the wife and I are getting tired of moving the saw all around the barn to get it out of the way.
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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 Sept 13, 2022 14:16:32 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Still cleaning out my shop. Gonna sell my Covington ten inch saw if anyone is near enough to Kerrville, TX. It runs but is in need of a new drive pully as the existing one has the screw that holds it to the shaft stripped so it will not tighten. Needs a new belt too but it includes a brand new un- mounted one. Whole rig is mounted on a nice rolling table with built in drains for easy cleanout. Blade still has life in it and I have a couple of new blades I'll add in cheap if you want. Includes a couple of wheels I use for aharpening. Also will include my old Genie if you want. Needs a new base as the Texas humidity has bowed the old one and needs some new wheels. Both machines run, just checked them, and we can chekc them again to make sure. $150 for the two machines. You will need a pick up to haul it as, as I've said it's mounted on a table. Noticed in the pic the table is bowing a bit under the saws weight. Probably needs replacing too but it may hold up awhile still. Still have few rocks for sale cheap too. PM me if you are interested and I'll give you my phone number so we can set up a meet. Probably can't get together till next month though as we have some doctor stuff going on next couple of weeks. saw etc by lonerider652000, on Flickr
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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 Sept 13, 2022 13:43:28 GMT -5
Just draw a triangle between Three Rivers, George West and Simmons City. Oil fields there full of petrified wood of all sorts, agates , jasper etc Easy roadside collecting in bar ditches. Look for county gravel roads with the most exposed gravel, especially after a hard rain. Short drive only 60-90 minutes.
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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 Sept 5, 2022 9:25:49 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Read Brians post on Royal Sahara Jasper (AKA Pebbles of the Nile), slabbing with interest, and it reminded me I finally found my last example of Owens Lake Jasper the other day. a tumble polished bola tie stone. A little background. A buddy and I were hunting paleo artifacts on an ancient gravel bar on the south side of Owens Lake in California, just west of Dirty Sock Springs. On the gravel bar we found evidence of Amerind knapping in the form of fragments of this interesting jasper. Definitely a picture type, high silica and polishes well. Definitely not sourced on the gravel bar as we found no cores or evidence of rough nodules. Fragments appeared to be off nodules with a chocolate brown exterior. Never gave it much thought as I was obsessed with artifacts and not hounding in those days but in later years, I went back just on a brief passing through visit and could not find the location due to so much new activity at the lake. Then, Royal Sahara Jasper appeared om the market and I was amazed at how similar the two materials appear. Both appear to be silica rich mudballs with nice picture jasper in the inside. I do remember the east shore of Owens lake south of Keeler had at the time large gravel bars as we hunted artifacts in the sand dunes just above the gravel bars. Those dunes and bars appear on Google maps to still be present and I've always wondered if that was the source of the nodules the ancient Amerinds used for knapping. Always wanted to go back there and chip some mudballs if I could find them but I'm sure I never will. Just thought I'd mention this again in case some intrepid California rockhound here on the board is in the area some time and wants to check it out Here's aa pick of the pebble fragment I tumbled. owens lake jasper by lonerider652000, on Flickr
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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 Sept 4, 2022 17:15:10 GMT -5
As a long time rockhound I have seen what commercial collectors and miners can do to gem and mineral sites and can see where the government is coming from in this case. However, in light of government closures of so many of our hounding sites, one wonders what comes next with the BLM etc. When they close the Cady Mtns or Lavic Siding and find themselves in need of funds will we see the development of more government "fee sites" using the same kind of excuse, so only folks with money can hunt rocks from these locations? Reason I question this tactic is I am old enough to remember when one could roam the deserts etc with their pop for free and rockhounding was a hobby even the poorest folks could enjoy. Not so much these days when access is becoming a major problem and the government is, to a great extent, at fault. I would think a better solution would be better enforcement to prevent commercial exploitation of sites and petrified wood type bag limits to extend the life of deposits. Most of the sites I've seen destroyed have been due to mechanical mining for money. Most rockhounds do limited digging and take relatively small quantities of material. A lesson in point would be the Baker Ranch t-egg digs. Private land in this case but a good example. It was a fee dig ( 15 cents per pound) and you got permission and went out and hand dug in a small pit. Went several times over the years and it was still a small dig, small pit, dug by hand. Then the Geode Kid took it over and plainly raped the entire location to a huge depth. I've seen places where commercial diggers did the same thing on government land. Enforcement should be aggressive and fines heavy in these instances. IMHO.
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