gemfeller
Cave Dweller 
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059 
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 20, 2024 1:10:25 GMT -5
I've been cutting a lot but haven't posted much of my current production. Here are a few of my most recent cabs. Hope you like them, and thanks for looking! The first three are Madagascan Polychrome Jasper. They're from an unusual parcel of slabs I found not long ago. The colors and patterns are so offbeat I've named them the Psychedelic Series. I have 2-3 slabs left with the same type of patterns and I'll be cutting them soon.    This is a gem quality variscite frem Lucin, Utah. It's entirely without matrix -- unlike most of the Lucin I see lately -- and has a deep, rich color with a little contrasting pattern.  The last is a Sonoran Sunset cab I freeformed last night. Apologies if it looks like a pear shape  I put all my rough away in a "safe place," and of course you know what happened. I cut the cab to celebrate finding it again.  Hope you all have a wonderful 'rest of the week." |
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Post by 1dave on Aug 20, 2024 5:52:08 GMT -5
Very nice. Amazing to see you still working!
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Post by liveoak on Aug 20, 2024 6:05:16 GMT -5
That variscite is glowing !
And the Psychedelic Jasper is pretty funky, I've never seen anything like it before.
Thanks for the show,
Patty
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johnthor1963
starting to spend too much on rocks
Cattle dogs rock
Member since June 2023
Posts: 236
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Post by johnthor1963 on Aug 20, 2024 6:24:36 GMT -5
Well you have done a fantastic job on those I can’t pick a favorite. Excuse me while I wipe up the slobber lol. I wish I had some of your material (but I know if I did mine wouldn’t turn out that good). What a polish on all of them, what kind of polishing did you use wheel or a pad? Home run for all of them. Thx for sharing (makes me want to try harder)
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Post by chris1956 on Aug 20, 2024 8:03:16 GMT -5
That Madagascan Polychrome Jasper is really unusual! I really like the gem quality variscite also.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,172
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Post by rockbrain on Aug 20, 2024 9:24:32 GMT -5
Love them all! That Polychrome is pretty amazing!
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,495
Member is Online
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Post by realrockhound on Aug 20, 2024 10:02:09 GMT -5
Very nice
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 20, 2024 10:17:22 GMT -5
The variscite is amazing and one of my fav materials- BUT, I gotta go with the SS. It floats my boat.  |
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Post by pebblesky on Aug 20, 2024 11:29:19 GMT -5
These all look so great! I love these polychrome jaspers with color bands and orbs.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 20, 2024 11:48:48 GMT -5
Well you have done a fantastic job on those I can’t pick a favorite. Excuse me while I wipe up the slobber lol. I wish I had some of your material (but I know if I did mine wouldn’t turn out that good). What a polish on all of them, what kind of polishing did you use wheel or a pad? Home run for all of them. Thx for sharing (makes me want to try harder) Thanks for the nice words. The Polychrome was a little difficult to polish. The orangy-tan matrix is a little softer than the patterned areas and tends to retain scratches. It took a lot of persistent sanding to defeat the undercutting. Polish was with super cerium on leather. The variscite takes a nice polish at 3000K and is finished off with Zam on muslin. The Sonoran Sunset varies a lot in hardness I've noticed. The parcel I bought seems unusually hard for the material (I've cut some that was slightly softer and more porous, which took a poor polish). I used to get a better polish on my material than I did on this one but I'm embarrassed to admit I've forgotten how I did it. I simply ran this one through the wheels and Zam at the end, which helped a little. |
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lapidary1234
spending too much on rocks
"If you like rocks you can't be all bad!!" ~ old timer quote
Member since October 2021
Posts: 293
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Post by lapidary1234 on Aug 20, 2024 14:36:36 GMT -5
Well I am a big fan of psychedelics...or used to be at least, not so much anymore haha (must be getting old)!!
I've gotta say my favorite from this batch is the lucin varicite. I agree, most of the material I see lately has matrix in most. In the last batch I got all of the matrix was much softer than the varicite and was quite challenging to work with so I understand the advantage of finding a piece without the matrix!
As far as the polychrome, I feel you with the frustration of undercutting. I've probably spent hours now trying not to give up on pieces that under cut. You did a great job!
The Sonoran sunset is great looking material and a stone I've yet to really work with.
Great job on all of them. Thanks for sharing!!
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Post by 1dave on Aug 20, 2024 20:29:48 GMT -5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Variscite
General
Category Phosphate minerals
Formula
(repeating unit) AlPO4·2H2O
IMA symbol Var[1]
Strunz classification 8.CD.10
Crystal system Orthorhombic
Crystal class Dipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Space group Pbca
Identification
Color Pale to emerald-green (pale green in transmitted light), green, blue green, yellow green, pale shades of brown or yellow, rarely red and colourless to white
Crystal habit Encrustations and reniform masses
Cleavage [010] perfect
Fracture Conchoidal to splintery
Mohs scale hardness 4.5
Luster Vitreous to waxy
Streak White
Diaphaneity Transparent to translucent
Specific gravity 2.57 to 2.61
Optical properties Biaxial (−)
Refractive index nα = 1.563 nβ = 1.588 nγ = 1.594
Birefringence δ = 0.031
References [2][3][4]
Variscite is a hydrated aluminium phosphate mineral (AlPO4·2H2O). It is a relatively rare phosphate mineral. It is sometimes confused with turquoise; however, variscite is usually greener in color. The green color results from the presence of small amounts of trivalent chromium (Cr3+
).[5]
Once known as "Utahlite" it occurred in northern Utah I believe as a result of the comet that hit here at the end of Jurassic Time.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 21, 2024 11:21:54 GMT -5
Very nice. Amazing to see you still working! I'm blessed. And I'm going down with a dop-stick in my hand as long as I'm able. |
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Post by 1dave on Aug 21, 2024 13:57:32 GMT -5
Very nice. Amazing to see you still working! I'm blessed. And I'm going down with a dop-stick in my hand as long as I'm able. My hands shake so bad I had to give it all up several years ago. |
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Post by tribeunited on Aug 21, 2024 15:58:14 GMT -5
I love these! They are all great and I don't have a favorite - BUT - I'm going to say that the polychrome material you have is fantastic on my opinion. I like that it's got all of the colors in the pattern. I don't know what's out there, but the ones I personally have are all very big with a lot of empty space - personally I like yours better But the cabs are all very good. Excellent! |
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Aug 21, 2024 19:12:31 GMT -5
Very nice cabs. I like the second and third polychrome, great patterns, and colors. Thanks for sharing.
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I put all my rough away in a "safe place," and of course you know what happened. I cut the cab to celebrate finding it again.
