Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 2, 2011 10:46:05 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Boy it's been like Christmas here lately. Got a gift box of goodies from my buddy Lowell out in California (elementary) and when I ordered a couple of nice saw blades at really great prices from our buddy, John at JS Gems, he included a gift of two fine slabs. Thanks to both of you guys. You're the best! here are some pics.....Mel From John, a really nice slab of Mariposite that is kind of unlike the stuff from near my old ranch and a beautiful slab of Aussie Black Jade which is a new addition to my jade collection. And from Lowell: Brazilian carnelian ( I love tumbling this stuff!) Purple agate ?? Unlabled and maybe from Boron, CA. A perfect T-egg with great ridges showing agate ( again, Lowell? Need a location for my collection. OK another unknown and I have not a clue what this is. It looks like a flat t-egg nodule but has a filling of very un t-egg looking agate. Really like these! A real prize, some fine, colorful sagenite nodules that look very much like the old McDermitt stuff: He also sent me some nice banded agate for tumbling and this which blew me away, a Bear Canyon Agate nodule from the Pryor mtns of Montana. I've hunted Dryheads but never been to this site. This is another totally new addition to my collection. Again, thanks so much you guys!
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Jul 2, 2011 12:25:33 GMT -5
Hey Mel,
Glad the stuff came through okay. I forgot to add a tracking number.
Okay, you verified the Brazilian carnelien (yeah! I picked up a bunch at that Harris house estate sale two years ago)
The purple comes from a single hole at Kramer's Junction aka Beacher's Corner, aka Four Corners, CA (looks like one slab broke in transit). I showed it to a dealer who says the coloring evidently comes from Lithium - which was interesting. Haven't checked beyond that. Only two people know where this pit is - and after our Shady Mesa conversation you can understand why I'm not jumping up and down to share the site.
The t-egg is Dugway. I've busted a couple open and all have been incredible with that pale blue agate and druzy interior. This also came from the Harris house. He had a big bin filled with material that looked like it had come from the surface - completely weathered. It had to be collected a long time ago. Have fun cutting it.
The nodule like things you like also came from the Harris house, and consensus is they are 'coprolites' from Utah. They came from a huge bin of material from that area. Whether they are true coprolite are have christened that from rockhounds, I cannot say. Some have incredible colors and patterns (not the banded type) inside. If you want a couple more, Mel, I've got a 5 gallon 2/3s full of them (and the brazilian I have full bucket of them).
The sagenite material came from Joel Hauser's house (finder of the Hauser Geode Beds back in the late 1930's.) It was unlabeled, but I compared it to a picture from (if I remember right) Agateswithinclusions.com and it looked a lot like the McDermitt stuff. I got it when I set up a club field trip to visit Mr. Hauser's widow who lives in my hometown. My club had several hours to roam the backyard and collect from the piles of material back there. I know the family as my father had worked for Mr. Hauser and my brother's godmother married one of his sons, so I've had several chances to dig into the family's rockpile and see their personal museum. They are a great and generous family.
Mel, the banded material in the bag I have a hunch is mid to low grade Mozambique agates. It came from another collector who has a large amount of african material in his backyard he got from a dealer. I'm hoping your AGATES by Zenz book can provide a sample to compare it to. The only other reference source is Dwarves' Earth Treasures. It is said the Mozambique stuff can look like Bots on the outside but has waterline agate much more often, and the reds/pinks lend it to the nickname 'Rose Agate'. I also believe the dealer (Wolfe who contributes to teh agate index) also said Mozambique, but it was a busy time and I could have got my names crossed.
I have to apologize. I left out something I've seen as 'Cloud Plume' from the North Cady's. We found the dig site a couple years ago, and I was so taken I grabbed a couple shoe-boxes of the stuff. Next package to you will have it.
Thanks again for supporting my class so much. It tickles me that I can add new things to your horde.
Watch out for those hornets!
Lowell
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Jul 2, 2011 12:30:15 GMT -5
Oh, Mel, and what the heck is a 'mice' slab - as you call the Mariposite? It sounds so interesting!
....I'll be disappointed if it's only your giant mitts hitting the wrong keys. ;D
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 2, 2011 14:36:51 GMT -5
Dang! Everyone's always got to make fun of my crappy typing *L*. Actually, for a guy that didn't much learn to type till he got a computer, I ain't that bad *L*.
Thanks so much for the ID's Lowell. I was wondering if that one thing was a coprolite because of the way the insides look but the exterior sure did look a bit like a T-egg too. Got to get my saw into those maybe this afternoon. Was gonna cut for sure but had a big black cat report come in with pics so I may go out and hike the creek looking for a sighting instead. The guy sent me two phone pics and measuring the cat against a two foot wide tree it looks to be better than 30 inches head/body length, not counting the tail which looks very much like a mountain lions. Another of those interesting Texas big cat sightings. Tail looks right for something other than a house cat too. I'd blow off such sightings except almost anything can come out of the bushes here. Had a giant weird rabbit report this week which turned out to be a Patagonian Mara, basically, a 37 pound rodent looking like a cross between a dog, a short eared rabbit and a kangaroo. He's gone now, maybe the black panther ate him *L*.
Regarding the sagenite, I sure wish I could go talk to the guy at Bill's rockyard again. I think he said there was another colorful sagenite site somewhere over the hill from Gem Hill at Rosamund but I can't find my note about what he told me and I always got so excited going through his rocks that I was inconsistent writing things down.
Anyway, on my last 25 pages of Parasite Rex so I should be able to start on a box for you real soon. Thanks again.....Mel
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Post by tanyafrench on Jul 5, 2011 9:30:30 GMT -5
That looks like some special rocks for a special guy. Love all the history on the rocks and if you find the big cat you have to post photos.
Tanya
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