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Post by Michael John on Jun 11, 2007 21:58:55 GMT -5
I'm out in Pahrump, Nevada. I can drive 10 minutes in any direction and be standing in the middle of gorgeous rocks. Pahrump is in a little valley, and all of the washes running through the mountains are loaded with beautiful boulders. I pick em up and drag em home constantly. The problem is that I don't know what most of them are. It's quite possible that I'm using "big rocks" worth $100+ each (in some cases?) to decorate my yard! How can I get a LOT of rocks identified? Heck, I even use some of my low-grade Chrysocolla in my landscaping!
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181lizard
Cave Dweller
Still lurking :)
Member since December 2005
Posts: 2,171
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Post by 181lizard on Jun 11, 2007 22:40:16 GMT -5
best thing I can tell ya is...read, read, read! Talk to locals, sometimes they'll surprise ya with what they know...buy local geology books & find your nearest local rock place.
Oh yeah...post pic's here. You'd be amazed at what our members have in their memory banks!
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rockinmom
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2007
Posts: 481
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Post by rockinmom on Jun 12, 2007 0:18:13 GMT -5
Ooooh.. that's rough! lol
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Post by cina on Jun 12, 2007 9:13:05 GMT -5
I had a 40lb Jade bolder in my rock garden and one of the ladys from our rock club came by to drop somthing off she said to me you think that should be out in the yard I said well not now that I know what it is lol The best thing you can do is read everything you can get your hands on and ask Mel he is a walking, talking rock book! Welcome and keep em rolling. Steph
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Post by larrywyland3 on Jun 12, 2007 10:44:25 GMT -5
That is the kind of problem I wish I had.
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Post by Michael John on Jun 12, 2007 11:31:14 GMT -5
WOW, three replies already! TYVM
I've been a rockhound for a couple of years now, but I haven't found anyone else out here in this little isolated town who shares my interest. I've spent hours and hours on the internet, reading and looking at thousands of pictures, but it really has done nothing but add to the confusion in most cases. Some definitions are very vague, and some overlap each other.
Seriously ... I can be standing in a wash, looking up at mountains all around me, beautiful rocks of all sorts scattered everywhere, and I have no clue which ones are likely to be the good stuff and which ones would just be a waste of time to carry out. So I just grab the ones that look the prettiest to me. I also know that some rocks are very plain on the outside and beautiful inside, so I often get the feeling that there's probably a lot of great stuff "hiding from me". LOL
Well, since you've volunteered, I'm gonna go out in my yard and take some pictures, and I'll post them here in a little while. My aging digital camera doesn't do the greatest job of capturing complexities, but I'll do my best to show them as accurately as I can. A big frustration is the fact that a camera just can't capture sparkle and depth very well, but I guess you all know that.
Okay ... back shortly with some pics!
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Post by Michael John on Jun 12, 2007 14:40:58 GMT -5
Okay, I took some pics, loaded them in my puter, and put them on my photobucket. Hopefully everything will go smoothly posting them here. #1: #2a: #2b: #3a: #3b: #4a: #4b: #5a: #5b: #6a: #6b: #7a: #7b: #8a: #8b: #9a: #9b: #10: #11a: #11b: #12a: #12b: #13a: #13b: So, those are a few goodies I've picked-up. If you can be of any help, I'd certainly appreciate it. They're all from the local mountains, and they're all currently adorning my front yard. I have MUCH more (tons).
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Post by krazydiamond on Jun 12, 2007 16:19:24 GMT -5
yee haw! i honestly don't know what any of those are, but my first suggestion would be to get a honking big saw and a diamond blade and open some of those puppies up!!!
welcome to the board, michaeljohn, you've found a bunch of rock fans here!
KD
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Post by Michael John on Jun 12, 2007 17:44:40 GMT -5
get a honking big saw and a diamond blade and open some of those puppies up!!!
Yeah, I've been thinking about investing in a saw, but the big ones are very expensive, and a small one wouldn't handle the majority of my rocks. Maybe if I can identify and sell some of my tons of accumulation it'll pay for one ... who knows.
The more I read on this forum, the more I like it. There are a lot of very nice people here who share my wonder and awe of nature's beauty.
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jun 12, 2007 20:57:29 GMT -5
Your rock appears to be from a highly mineralized area, lots of iron maybe ? It might be worth taking a metal detector on your next rock hunt and do some nugget shooting while your there.
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Post by Michael John on Jun 12, 2007 22:17:19 GMT -5
It's Nevada, so it is a very mineralized area. The Pahrump Valley has many distinctly different areas in terms of mineralization. The mountains on the California side of the valley are much different than those on the opposing side of the valley. Also, just the other side of the Mountains on the California side is a huge dry lake bed. The minerals found over there are quite different than on the Pahrump side, plus trilobites can sometimes be found if you look hard. The rocks found in the washes are generally indicative of what you'll find in the surrounding mountains, but you'll generally find better stuff by climbing and searching the mountains. In an area on the south end of town, the ground is littered with what is obviously volcanic debris, so rockhounding can be quite rewarding down there for those with a bit of ambition and patience. On the extreme north end of town is the legendary Johnnie Mine, which produced a LOT of gold since the late 1800s. That claim is all mined-out, but there are still miners who continue to work small claims in the area, and hope to find another part of The Motherlode. Rockhounders are best advised to avoid the area completely, as the crazy old miners out there gaurd their claims with shotguns, and they're more likely to shoot before asking questions if you happen to stumble onto their claim. Nobody has yet identified any of my rocks, so I'll try to give a little description of them... #1 is a strange looking rock that looks like a little planet which is completely covered with craters. VERY strange. #2 is beautiful shades of pink and red. I'm guessing it's some sort of jasper or agate, but I could be totally wrong. #3 is all earthtones. Again, maybe jasper or agate (?). #4 is breathtaking reddish-orange shades, appearing like they were snatched from a sunset. Obviously, it has black spiderwebbing all over it. This one's a mystery to me. My best guesses would be jasper or marble ... but again, I could easily be way off. #5 is a strange looking critter. It has those semi-circular bands running through it, but no other clues that my limited knowledge can pick up. I have no idea what it is. #6 came from the south end of town. I don't know what the dark rusty colored rock is, but I'm assuming that the black stuff on the outside is lava. I'd bet money that this chunk was shot-out of a far-off volcano during it's big BOOM, and landed where I found it. There are a LOT of lava "cow pies" in the area where this was found. #7 came from an area near Red Rock Canyon. It SPARKLES through and through (high quartz content) and has several areas of crystal clusters. Gorgeous! #8 is brownish-beige, has black webbing running through it, and also has smokey-black banding running through it. I'm guessing it's probably a jasper (?). #9 is like #7 on steroids. The tint is darker, and there are more and larger crystal clusters. #10 is WIERD. The strange patterns appear to be etched in the stone. The mineral might be marble, but I'm not sure. #11 I THINK is a jasper, but I'm not sure. #12 I think is a jasper, too, but again I'm not sure. #13 is what my kids call moon rock. I took the pics wet, but dry it's actually a light mustardy-yellow color. The entire surface (like #1) is totally covered with craters. I have no clue what it is. Anyway, I hope that helps, and I hope someone can give me at least better educated guesses as to what these are. Thanks in advance
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Post by texaswoodie on Jun 13, 2007 13:46:14 GMT -5
Ask the aliens, or Mel, whichever gets back from the ranch first. I don't know doodley about anything that's not from E Tx and only know didley about those. Curt
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Post by Michael John on Jun 13, 2007 17:12:02 GMT -5
Thanks, Curt. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope somebody recognizes some of it. These pieces are just the tip of my iceberg.
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cleo12797
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2007
Posts: 279
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Post by cleo12797 on Jun 13, 2007 17:58:16 GMT -5
Hi Michaeljohn,
The orange looking stuff must be some type of iron. I find a lot of orange and white quartz around here and the orange seems to be some type of iron. I'm going to post some pics as soon as I get a chance to see if anyone knows.
Yeah, stuck there with a bunch of cool rocks. Cry me a river! LOL
Ang
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Post by Michael John on Jun 13, 2007 19:24:21 GMT -5
Yeah, stuck there with a bunch of cool rocks. Cry me a river! LOL
It's just frustrating to know that some of it is undoubtedly worth SOMETHING, but not knowing which ones.
Heck, I can't hardly leave the house without some rocks mysteriously following me home! I've even got a few piles stashed out in the washes, waiting for me to go out and pick them up! That happens sometimes when it's real hot and I don't have the energy left to finish what I started.
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lastl98
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2007
Posts: 410
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Post by lastl98 on Jun 15, 2007 21:22:57 GMT -5
#11 sure looks like White Tree Moss Agate to me. Picked this piece up on Ebay. Your piece Last
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Post by stoner on Jun 16, 2007 0:22:14 GMT -5
#2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 all look to be quartzite with some mineral inclusions causing the colors. My sister-in-law lives in the Sierra foothills around Jackson, and I've found many of the same type rocks you have shown here. #11 and 12 look like granite from the Sierra's. I think your safe to keep them in your garden, not much monetary value in quartzite.
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Post by Michael John on Jun 16, 2007 14:04:34 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies!!!!!
I did some image searching, given your information, and made some interesting discoveries about the rocks which I posted as well as some others I have here.
I am pretty sure that #7 and #9 are Quartzite. The interesting find was that in some cases, depending how it looks, quartzite is sometimes used to make jewelry. I picked these two particular pieces out due to their unusual color and their amazing crystal-lined vugs. I'll leave them in the yard for now, but when I start making jewelry, I'll definately use them.
I found that #4, 5, 8, & 10 are probably what's loosely termed as Quartzrock. Again, although it's not commonly used, good looking pieces of Quartzrock could be used for jewelry making. Whether I will use these particular pieces or not, I don't know, but #4 is a definate possibility.
Numbers 2 and 3 don't seem to fit these descriptions, although I could be wrong. Once I get a saw, I'll definately slice these two up to see what cabs would look like made from this material.
Numbers 11 and 12 are definately granite.
I discovered that one of the rocks/minerals which I was curious about, which I did not list in the pics, is grape quartzite. There's a lot of it in at least one of the nearby mountains, and it's very pretty. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure it's Amethyst-based. The general composition varies greatly. Some chunks are composed of very small fragments, while others are composed of larger stones, up to 2" in diameter. Again, when I get a saw, I'll slice some up and see what cabs would look like.
I really appreciate the help you all gave. As I said, these were just a small handfull of what I have. Sometime this coming week, I'll sort through some piles and post some more in a new thread.
If anyone sees something that they really like, just let me know and I'll send you some. I'd love to see some finished pieces!
*PEACE*
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