tgood1969
having dreams about rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 63
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Post by tgood1969 on Mar 20, 2011 15:22:57 GMT -5
I stopped by the river in Madison, VA yesterday and collected a few rocks on my way to visit family. I cut a few this afternoon while cabbing. This one is particularly nice but I believe it may contain asbestos. It displays some very nice chatoyancy and the areas that show it, have a fibrous structure much like tigers eye. Any thoughts? The last two pics are the same piece rotated between shots. The photos show some of the affect but not as much as in person. Mike ![](http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab225/Mike_Goodwin/rockhounding%20finds/DSC00026.jpg) ![](http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab225/Mike_Goodwin/rockhounding%20finds/DSC00028.jpg) ![](http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab225/Mike_Goodwin/rockhounding%20finds/DSC00052.jpg) ![](http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab225/Mike_Goodwin/rockhounding%20finds/DSC00051.jpg) Thanks for looking.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Mar 20, 2011 16:52:30 GMT -5
Boy that is a ringer for pietersite (sp). Not aware of it occuring in VA. But it sure looks the part
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Mar 20, 2011 19:04:52 GMT -5
This is very cool Mike. I'd really like to see a piece cabbed! Be careful if that is in fact asbestos.
Nate
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 20, 2011 19:26:28 GMT -5
Try using a sharp needle to pull some fibers loose. If the fibers start coming up and looking sort of fluffy, it probably is asbestos.
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tgood1969
having dreams about rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 63
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Post by tgood1969 on Mar 20, 2011 20:13:55 GMT -5
I gave the needle thing a try but was unable to get much of anything to lift. I did get a fiber to come up but it was green in color, fairly hard and didn't appear to be fluffy. Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will just assume that it might contain asbestos and take a little extra care when cabbing.
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Mike
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 20, 2011 20:48:40 GMT -5
Asbestos fibers should bend to 90 degrees without breaking off.
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riverbendlapidary
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by riverbendlapidary on Mar 20, 2011 22:21:40 GMT -5
looks very similar to some Epidote I have from North Carolina....
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Post by tandl on Mar 22, 2011 16:30:28 GMT -5
Awesome Material ! It appears to be a Calc-Silicate marble . Which can contain a variety of minerals. The green is likely epidote , and the viens quartz with ? a interesting read , if you have a book .
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mossyrockhound
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by mossyrockhound on Mar 30, 2011 19:09:27 GMT -5
Neat material. Just make sure you use plenty of water when you work with it. Garry
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Post by 150FromFundy on Mar 31, 2011 6:35:25 GMT -5
Similar material is found along the shores of the Bay of Fundy. I agree with tandl that the light green matrix is epidote. Stress fractures from when the continents collided were later filled with silica materials. Looks like a green/blue moss agate filled the fractures in your case.
Darryl.
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tgood1969
having dreams about rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 63
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Post by tgood1969 on Mar 31, 2011 18:58:24 GMT -5
Okay, so I finally got around to trying to cab a piece of this stuff. Turns out that the chatoyant areas are very fibrous and soft... not at all a silicated or solid as they appear. It also became obvious that I was likely dealing with some asbestos bearing material as the fibers were white fluffy and soft once pulled from the clear//greenish material interwoven in them. The stuff basically falls apart in those areas along directional lines.
I need to stabilize some blue quartz I have cut so I will likely throw a few slabs of this in with it and stabilize it at the same time, after which, I should have no problem cabbing a few pieces. The stabilizing should help to mitigate some of the possible dangers associated with working with the asbestos as well. That coupled with a wet environment, good ventilation and a mask should help. I may just work it outside to be sure.
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Apr 1, 2011 18:36:05 GMT -5
I would not work it at all!!!!
asbestos is nothing to mess with and can enter the body in more ways than being inhaled which is by far the worse.
you may be ok working it wet but anything that dries out and gets airborne is just as bad.
keep a slab for display and bury the rest
a little blurb on asbestos: "Asbestos fibers can have serious effects on your health if inhaled. There is no known safe exposure to asbestos. The greater the exposure, the greater the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. The amount of time between exposure to asbestos and the first signs of disease can be as much as 30 years. It is known that smokers exposed to asbestos have a much greater chance of developing lung cancer than just from smoking alone. Asbestos can cause asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs that leads to breathing problems and heart failure. Workers who manufacture or use asbestos products and have high exposures to asbestos are often affected with asbestosis. Inhalation of asbestos can also cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen lining. It may be linked to cancer of the stomach, intestines, and rectum, as well." (American Lung Association)
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Apr 4, 2011 12:48:37 GMT -5
Hi Mike,
I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I'm wondering what you do to stabilize your material.
It's interesting material you've found. Binghamite, a somewhat similar stone from here in Minnesota, is also known to occasionally have asbestos.
I don't know that you need to bury it, but I would be careful trying to work it. The risk increases dramatically if it is friable. Floor tile from the 1970s and earlier usually contained asbestos, but it's not generally considered a risk unless it is deteriorating.
Chuck
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tgood1969
having dreams about rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 63
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Post by tgood1969 on Apr 4, 2011 13:22:39 GMT -5
Hi Chuck - I am thinking of trying the Opticon process to stabilize it. I have had good luck with some stones using the directions supplied with the product but on others, not so good. The areas in this that are soft, seem to have enough porosity that it may work well. The process is messy and takes about 24 hours to thoroughly complete but if it works, it usually works well. It involves heating the stones in Opticon for about an hour or two (carefully as if it gets too hot, it can flash into a vapor fire) and then letting them cool for an extended period before applying a"hot" mix of hardener and opticon to the surface.
There are other procedures that would work better but most require a vacuum chamber.
Mike
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