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Post by kk on Jul 29, 2013 4:11:38 GMT -5
I'm not sure if this is the right category to post this in, but here we go. While at the markets, I got some material. They called this one Burmese opalized wood.  Looks great and is a keeper for future carving. Has nice play of light but no flashes. Quartz Looking forward to this one, the light congregates at bottom and is thrown right back at you. That should make for at least two or three nice carvings.   And some other shades of color  Now this one is a rather interesting one. Was sold falsely (I knew that at the time, was 70% sure that it is not) as Lapis, and identified by members here as possible sodalite. Now, I cut into it today and it turns out, its something different entirely.  What do you think it actually is? Here are the four pieces I got! Marbeled  And much more solid  Also cut into the Cinnabar, but I'm absolutely disappointed with that one. Will not even post pictures of this overpriced @#$$%. I don't want specimens, I want things that I can work with. After that disappointment and surprise outcome on the presumed sodalite, I thought I should console myself a bit and open some Christmas-presents that I got from our friend Allen in Australia. Thunderegss from Agate Creek in Australia First two where ok  Solid carving material  the fourth blew the roof off  And then came this. Just look how the light congregates along the inner wall and is then thrown back at you. The inner wall is pure white, and the filling slightly pink, but clear. That is something I will keep for the time being. To carve this, and utilize the properties of this one, I will need a lot more practice.  Best regards, Kurt |
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 29, 2013 18:50:43 GMT -5
it is still sodalite. i have pieces just like that.
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Post by catmandewe on Jul 29, 2013 19:09:26 GMT -5
Looks like Sodalite to me also.
I really like the last agate creek nodule.
Tony
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Post by kk on Jul 29, 2013 20:36:48 GMT -5
It looks like anything I can find on Sodalite on the net, but I can't find a single reference to sodalite being chattoyant. And this thing is!  Found chattoyant planes even on the marbled pieces too. |
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Post by kk on Jul 29, 2013 20:57:58 GMT -5
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 29, 2013 21:43:42 GMT -5
the crystal habit has 6 planes, and i think you just see some flash. is flash true chatoyance?
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Post by kk on Jul 29, 2013 21:53:56 GMT -5
I would compare the greenish chatoyance at hand to a weak labradorite (something I thought it would be at the time of writing the post, until I saw references to chatoyance possibilities in sodalite). It occurs in regularity to the extend of several square-inches in the dark piece and the cutoff as seem in the picture is covered to about 60% with it (about 2 inches long). So internal fractures reflecting back will not account for that.
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 29, 2013 21:56:47 GMT -5
i'll take your word, i can't see in picture
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Post by tandl on Jul 30, 2013 14:10:59 GMT -5
What you have is the rock Nepheline Syenite Pegmatite . Almost always called sodalite when it contains sodalite . The dark green and black minerals are hornblende,biotite and acmite which most often have a pearly luster similar to chatoyance .
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Post by roy on Jul 30, 2013 14:31:19 GMT -5
nice haul kurt reallt like those thundereggs
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller 
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,049 
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 30, 2013 15:31:27 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure it's Labradorite, Kurt. That was my reaction when I saw your first images but I couldn't detect any schiller/chatoyance. Your mention of chatoyance in combination with the very clear feldspar cleavages in the second set of images confirms that ID as far as I'm concerned. Sodalite has very poor cleavage.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 30, 2013 15:54:14 GMT -5
Great finds.I like the petwood the best...Thumbs up
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Post by kk on Jul 30, 2013 17:39:52 GMT -5
Wow guys. Thank you for all the input.
I like the idea of labradorite, yet I have seen the explanation "Nepheline Syenite Pegmatite" or something very close to it before.
We got chert here in Hong Kong, with a weak hornblende,biotite and acmite blend, and I just remember that effect (Remember the brown Lizard last year?). But the stone basically lost the effect with working it. Will work the solid and a marbled piece into a cab today, then we will see if the effect is seen after the polish.
So presuming that "Nepheline Syenite Pegmatite" is correct; there is no proper name for this variety yet?
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wardrums
starting to shine!
Member since July 2013
Posts: 26
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Post by wardrums on Jul 30, 2013 18:46:21 GMT -5
Sorry I never caught this sooner. I see you do know what you have.
I have a slab of soda light that also has the chatoyancy, but not even close to that extreme. A very unique piece you have, thanks for showing it.
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Post by kk on Jul 31, 2013 8:26:29 GMT -5
OK, so today I took the two cut-offs and polished them up. The marbled piece shows some sheen in the darker parts, but other than that it stands on its own only by its excellent finish without undercutting. I think in bigger pieces it could easely be mistaken as a piece of porcelain.  The second one is much more solid without much light material interfering. Midnight blue mixed with Kashmir Blue Sodalite, Straight on looks nice with some depth and also took a water finish.  ........ but ........ turn it a little and a sheen/chatoyance appears. Sheen covers up to 95% of front and 70% of back of the cab.  Color changes slightly between daylight and indoor room-lights.  I'm not sure what to call it anymore, is it sheen or chatoyance? One thing is for sure though, it does not work like labradorite as such and the sheen/chatoyance is different too.  Best regards, Kurt |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2013 12:58:00 GMT -5
We have a "Like" button. I clicked it. We also need two more buttons. "Really" - "Like" - "A Lot" If we did, I'd click all three!  |
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 31, 2013 15:46:22 GMT -5
now I do see the sheen. it is like a Labradorite sheen or gold-sheen obsidian. you must be very pleased.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2013 17:08:22 GMT -5
Lanradorite has "schiller" and having look at schiller in 24" diameter labradorite crystals in countertop slabs just an hour ago, I will tell you that doesn't look right. That seems more like "sheen" in OB to me.
$0.02 worth, I just wanted to brag about the huge crystals in labradorite counter material I saw. lol
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Post by kk on Aug 2, 2013 2:21:37 GMT -5
now I do see the sheen. it is like a Labradorite sheen or gold-sheen obsidian. you must be very pleased. I am ! As said before, I bought this rough solely because of its color with carving on mind, knowing from the outset that the seller misinformed me on the name. That this visual effect is in there is an absolute bonus regardless to what this material actually is, and lets me forget about that Cinnabar. |
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