nansaidh
spending too much on rocks
Jewelry artist, graphic designer, dog lover, car nut (etc.)
Member since August 2008
Posts: 311
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Post by nansaidh on Oct 31, 2008 14:17:26 GMT -5
I'm starting my fourth batch already (where does the time go?). This is mostly hammered rough from Keith (KAP) with (I think) agate, jasper, chrysocolla and some I can't remember what they are (Keith please chime in!) and a striped piece that I'd found in a neighborhood landscaping rock bed (oops!) that when I hammered it apart it smelled of crude oil so I'm wondering if that's what the black bits are in there (petrified oil). It was very glassy on it's fractured faces. Full album here... a few of the shots below: What am I?  Questionably the petrified coal/oil:  Is this likely to fall apart?... (chrysocolla?)  The whole batch:  Thanks for looking - progress will be watched!  Nancy |
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Post by Michael John on Nov 1, 2008 0:27:52 GMT -5
Doesn't look like any Chrysocolla I've ever seen. Whatever it is, it looks crumbly. If you decide to add it in with all that hard stuff, check your batch every day for the first few days to make sure that you don't have a crumbled mess in there.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 1, 2008 8:26:11 GMT -5
Yeah, that blue on white material looks almost like that graves Mtn lazulite in quartzite stuff. It does look like you have a mixed hardness batch there , if that's Utah picasso marble I see. You have to watch the mixed batches carefully as the soft stones will round off much more quickly and also scratch up more readily in the final stages......Mel
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nansaidh
spending too much on rocks
Jewelry artist, graphic designer, dog lover, car nut (etc.)
Member since August 2008
Posts: 311
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Post by nansaidh on Nov 1, 2008 12:37:15 GMT -5
Yikes! Thanks guys - I'll look through the batch today and probably take out the lazulite, then. Thank you thank you!!
Nancy
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Nov 1, 2008 12:54:35 GMT -5
I think Mel was referring to the Picasso Marble (first pic?) as being soft. This is strictly a guess, but that could be anthracite coal in the second pic. You'd have to do some hardness, streak, and burn testing to help identify. The anthracite I have also tends to be light compared to a rock of similar size.
Chuck
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Post by Michael John on Nov 1, 2008 20:36:23 GMT -5
With what you have there, a very simple hardness test will tell you what to either include and watch closely or to exclude completely. Just take a quartz crystal and scratch each piece with it. You'll quickly get the feel for it and be able to easily tell which ones are soft, and how soft in relation.
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