dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 10, 2023 16:50:32 GMT -5
Hello everyone, I have for you today three gems I hope will help lighten up your Friday.
1. Dead Camel Jasper from Nevada (not eastern Oregon).
2. Unknown jasper/agate. It sort of looks like Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper, but I don't think it is. It was mixed in with a lot of small slabs I bought.
3. Bruneau Jasper/Optical Quartz (doublet). I know there aren't any orbs, but I like it nonetheless. The optical quartz is probably worth more than the stone.
this is the backside with the quartz   Thanks for taking a look.
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller 
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Nov 10, 2023 17:18:35 GMT -5
What do you mean no orbs? That things loaded with them.
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 10, 2023 18:06:46 GMT -5
Beautiful orby bruno! Nice job on them all.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,172
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Post by rockbrain on Nov 10, 2023 18:07:24 GMT -5
Sweet cabs! There's a lot of Jasper I haven't worked. One of these days I'm going to do some Dead Camel and some Bruneau.
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 10, 2023 19:17:55 GMT -5
What do you mean no orbs? That things loaded with them. I guess what I should have said was no eggs. I'm elated that it qualifies as good Bruneau. It is the first really nice piece I ever had. |
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 10, 2023 19:20:14 GMT -5
Sweet cabs! There's a lot of Jasper I haven't worked. One of these days I'm going to do some Dead Camel and some Bruneau. I don't have any idea where you might find Bruneau. The Dead Camel I bought wasn't very good quality. I think this one was the best and only piece that was workable. Thanks so much. |
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 10, 2023 19:22:02 GMT -5
Beautiful orby bruno! Nice job on them all. You're right, those are orbs. I guess I'm thinking of eggs. Thanks so much. It was a pretty thin slab Bruneau. |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
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Post by realrockhound on Nov 10, 2023 19:41:44 GMT -5
What do you mean no orbs? That things loaded with them. I guess what I should have said was no eggs. I'm elated that it qualifies as good Bruneau. It is the first really nice piece I ever had. That’s very nice bruneau |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 10, 2023 22:50:10 GMT -5
Very nice cabs! I have to ask why you used optical quartz on the back of the Bruneau? Seems like kind of a waste since it's the back and Bruneau is opaque.
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 10, 2023 23:24:18 GMT -5
Very nice cabs! I have to ask why you used optical quartz on the back of the Bruneau? Seems like kind of a waste since it's the back and Bruneau is opaque. I was going to ask the same question! I'm curious too. Usually optical quartz is used on the front side of a cab...maybe something that isn't stable. I can't remember exactly who (I think it was Bill)...but someone did a Dino Bone cab with the quartz on the front so the bone itself didn't have to be ground down at all. I really like every one of these cabs though!  |
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Post by pebblesky on Nov 10, 2023 23:43:45 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs! The 2nd cab is my favorite.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,979
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Post by khara on Nov 11, 2023 6:05:07 GMT -5
Very nice cabs and you have a nice selection of quality material too.👍
Maybe the optical quartz was all you had available for making a doublet? I know I don’t really have anything good for doublets. I suppose maybe I could just use a random slab of some boring material. I also don’t know if optical quartz is spendy. I haven’t looked. It is something I’d like to do in the future though, make some doublets. I have some very thin slabs of beautiful materials and need to have the capability to cab them.
Anyway, great cabs, I remember you started not too long ago with this.👍
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Post by liveoak on Nov 11, 2023 7:24:00 GMT -5
Nice cabs I always have to wonder where some of the names come from ?
Dead Camel Jasper
So did the last camel on the way from rock hounding in Egypt fall down & die on top of the pile of rocks he was carrying ?
There must be a story in there.
Patty
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 11, 2023 9:21:32 GMT -5
Nice cabs I always have to wonder where some of the names come from ?
Dead Camel Jasper
So did the last camel on the way from rock hounding in Egypt fall down & die on top of the pile of rocks he was carrying ?
There must be a story in there.
Patty
LOL! It comes from the Dead Camel Mountains in Nevada, hence the name. |
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 11, 2023 9:28:40 GMT -5
Very nice cabs! I have to ask why you used optical quartz on the back of the Bruneau? Seems like kind of a waste since it's the back and Bruneau is opaque. Hello, and thanks. The Bruneau was a thin slab, about 1/8" so I thought it would need backing and I didn't have anything else that was clear, and I really want the backside of the Bruneau to show. I'm not ecstatic at how this doublet turned out after all. The Bruneau is great especially after reading some of the comments, but it got pretty darn thin and it doesn't quite look right with the thicker backing, but I'm going to leave it as it is. That optical quartz is very expensive. Do you ever see a good time to use it as a backing for a doublet, because I'd rather not use it if it isn't necessary? I think it would have to be for something very special or for a certain type of pendant. I think optical quartz is used mostly for triplets especially on opals. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Nov 11, 2023 9:43:15 GMT -5
I believe the story was told in Rock and Gem magazine. Some prospectors/miners were up there and to their surprise they found a dead camel. A little out of place and unusual, so they coined the name.
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fencejumper
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2021
Posts: 441
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Post by fencejumper on Nov 11, 2023 9:51:33 GMT -5
Nice job!
The second one looks like A version of Morgan Hill
I’m sure of it…
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Nov 11, 2023 10:02:26 GMT -5
Very nice cabs! I have to ask why you used optical quartz on the back of the Bruneau? Seems like kind of a waste since it's the back and Bruneau is opaque. Hello, and thanks. The Bruneau was a thin slab, about 1/8" so I thought it would need backing and I didn't have anything else that was clear, and I really want the backside of the Bruneau to show. I'm not ecstatic at how this doublet turned out after all. The Bruneau is great especially after reading some of the comments, but it got pretty darn thin and it doesn't quite look right with the thicker backing, but I'm going to leave it as it is. That optical quartz is very expensive. Do you ever see a good time to use it as a backing for a doublet, because I'd rather not use it if it isn't necessary? I think it would have to be for something very special or for a certain type of pendant. I think optical quartz is used mostly for triplets especially on opals. I understand that you wanted to be able to see the back. I guess if it were me, I would have put the optical quartz on the top since the slab was so thin. That way you would still see both the back and the top of the Bruneau. Then grind the dome out of the optical quartz. That way you would have preserved the thickness of the Bruneau and had the added benefit of the optical quartz magnifying the pattern on the top of the cab a bit. Bruneau is a tough jasper. It would have been fine doing it that way. Live and learn. Before there was optical quartz, folks just used regular old clear (crystal) quartz for doublets or triplets. Personally, I would never use optical quartz for a backing. I cut opals and have made a few doublets, but I always used black potch (common opal) or black jade as a backing. Some people will use Basanite or Obsidian as backings. If it were a crystal opal, then I'd use the optical quartz and put it on the top of the stone if the color was good enough to show without a dark backing and just leave the back alone. Black behind a crystal opal, usually makes it really pop, though. I have never made a triplet, but I would most likely use a dark backing and an optical quartz top if I were do one. |
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 11, 2023 10:04:30 GMT -5
Very nice cabs and you have a nice selection of quality material too.👍 Maybe the optical quartz was all you had available for making a doublet? I know I don’t really have anything good for doublets. I suppose maybe I could just use a random slab of some boring material. I also don’t know if optical quartz is spendy. I haven’t looked. It is something I’d like to do in the future though, make some doublets. I have some very thin slabs of beautiful materials and need to have the capability to cab them. Anyway, great cabs, I remember you started not too long ago with this.👍 Thanks, I originally bought the optical quartz in case I wanted to back a cab that was worthy of seeing both sides and I felt this Bruneau fit that. It's the first and best piece I ever came across. I'm afraid to admit that almost everything I cab has been purchased. That's how I get such nice material. Once in a great while I come across a nice piece in an estate sale or rock sale, such as this one piece of Bruneau. I have some thin Montana agate slabs, I just didn't want to cover up anything on this one. I have a lot of thin slabs too, especially pet wood, so I will have to make lots of doublets. I am not sure where I'm going with cabbing, but I love making them and as the saying goes, "just keep cabbing". I'm not planning to sell anything, but I might eventually end up doing just that. |
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Nov 11, 2023 10:15:49 GMT -5
Hello, and thanks. The Bruneau was a thin slab, about 1/8" so I thought it would need backing and I didn't have anything else that was clear, and I really want the backside of the Bruneau to show. I'm not ecstatic at how this doublet turned out after all. The Bruneau is great especially after reading some of the comments, but it got pretty darn thin and it doesn't quite look right with the thicker backing, but I'm going to leave it as it is. That optical quartz is very expensive. Do you ever see a good time to use it as a backing for a doublet, because I'd rather not use it if it isn't necessary? I think it would have to be for something very special or for a certain type of pendant. I think optical quartz is used mostly for triplets especially on opals. I understand that you wanted to be able to see the back. I guess if it were me, I would have put the optical quartz on the top since the slab was so thin. That way you would still see both the back and the top of the Bruneau. Then grind the dome out of the optical quartz. That way you would have preserved the thickness of the Bruneau and had the added benefit of the optical quartz magnifying the pattern on the top of the cab a bit. Bruneau is a tough jasper. It would have been fine doing it that way. Live and learn. Before there was optical quartz, folks just used regular old clear (crystal) quartz for doublets or triplets. Personally, I would never use optical quartz for a backing. I cut opals and have made a few doublets, but I always used black potch (common opal) or black jade as a backing. Some people will use Basanite or Obsidian as backings. If it were a crystal opal, then I'd use the optical quartz and put it on the top of the stone if the color was good enough to show without a dark backing and just leave the back alone. Black behind a crystal opal, usually makes it really pop, though. I have never made a triplet, but I would most likely use a dark backing and an optical quartz top if I were do one. Oh my goodness gracious me, it would have been awesome to put it on the top and maybe even the bottom too, a triplet. Son of a bee hive! Such a nice piece. I will definitely remember, no more optical quartz backings. Thanks so much. I was considering doing the OQ backing on some other nicer pieces I have, thank goodness now I know what I will do instead. I'll get working on one of those pronto. |
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