sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Oct 15, 2013 10:23:20 GMT -5
Which of the several will give me the best chance of a good piece? I live closest to the Saddle mountain location, but I know there are several more listed in the rockhounding books ( most of them over 3 hours away) has anyone been to Saddle mountain and found anything decent? It did say the area had been hit hard by collectors over the years, so do I give it a go anyways? Or will a further away location be better?
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Post by mohs on Oct 15, 2013 11:29:30 GMT -5
I did some fire agate collecting out in the Saddle mountain area about year ago
I wouldn't necessarily say I have very good eye for fire agate
it was my first and only time
but the guys I was with got some nice pieces
there was lot of material about
but being a popular picked over spot
I'm sure it takes a trained eye to find the prize nugget
sure others will have just the advice you seek
Ed
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Mark K
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818 
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Post by Mark K on Oct 23, 2013 20:07:31 GMT -5
I was just there and picked up a bucket full. However, I was not looking only for fire, but just grabbing the chalcedony period.
I figure that 10 out of 100 pieces have color and one out of those ten have fire.
I did see lots of tiny pieces which are certainly fire, but they are so small that I leave them behind.
When I eventually sort the 200 or maybe 250 pounds of stuff I have taken from there, I will just sort it by tumbling quality and fire potential.
This small pail has potential for fire, this big pail is for tumbling, this really big pail is for the stuff I have to cut before I can tumble it.
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StoneGolem
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2012
Posts: 78
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Post by StoneGolem on Nov 16, 2013 0:14:44 GMT -5
Earlier this year I made a post about a location I ran across, forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/57708/surface-collecting-west-phoenixThis is a link to the site on google maps as well, maps.google.com/maps?q=33.341553,-113.021979&num=1&t=h&vpsrc=0&hl=en&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=A (just copy and paste into address bar). Also, If you do look around Saddle Mountain, you may have more luck near the southern side of the mountain. It is and has been a popular spot for more than 50 years so it is a bit picked over, though I believe there is still plenty of material left for the motivated collector. |
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Post by Woodyrock on Nov 26, 2013 3:18:22 GMT -5
Look at collecting Fire Agate from the prospective of how it formed. It was formed by water peculating into the rock from from hot geysers carrying minerals in solution which then formed the layers of chalcedony in cracks and voids in the matrix rock. This means that you need to first find where it formed, and then work the matrix out whilst collecting the agate.
Woody
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sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Jan 29, 2014 11:32:31 GMT -5
I think I am just going to go for it this weekend and go to Saddle Mountain......cant find anything if I don't look.....it was suggested to go to the south side of the mountain and look over there instead of the well picked over north side.....wish me luck!!!
Sarah
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Post by mohs on Jan 29, 2014 11:51:40 GMT -5
after Saddle
go on to quartzite
you'll be close
Ed
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sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Jan 29, 2014 11:55:52 GMT -5
Meaning?  There is more fire agate at Q? |
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Post by drocknut on Jan 29, 2014 11:56:05 GMT -5
Good luck to you at Saddle Mountain. I've found some cool pieces over there and have been several times. There is a lot of material there but not as much with fire. If you see pieces with the white coating over what looks like color keep them because oftentimes the fire is hiding beneath the thin layer of chalcedony.
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Post by drocknut on Jan 29, 2014 11:57:47 GMT -5
Meaning? There is more fire agate at Q? Quartzsite is a great place to visit and there is more fire agate there but it is all for sale, not collecting. |
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sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Jan 29, 2014 12:20:57 GMT -5
I Know there are quite a few other minerals found around saddle mtn as well and the fire agate...so we may go poking about looking for that too..........wish there was fluorite...ive been tring to find a good source of purple or blue fluorite for some time now....eventually I suppose
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Post by mohs on Jan 29, 2014 12:33:10 GMT -5
Meaning? There is more fire agate at Q? O there a lot of fire agate in Q all you gotta do is open your wallet that what I meant mostly |
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sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Jan 29, 2014 15:23:27 GMT -5
I get it..... I'm not opposed to paying for small little shelf specimens for my shelf, however, it's the thrill of the hunt for it on my own that I love so much..... Much more exciting to find your own piece rather than plopping down a bunch of cash.... Although if I cannot find a piece worthy of my living room shelf I may have to go the cash route.
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Post by mohs on Jan 29, 2014 19:59:37 GMT -5
O your not going to get any argument
from the vast majority on RTH
I knew your interest lies in the hunt
But Q is hunt of a different sort.
Now me... mostly-- is NO rock hound...mostly
Mostly motto is:
You find'm
I grind'm
good luck in your rock hounding
post what you find
edmohs
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Post by roy on Jan 29, 2014 22:29:15 GMT -5
if you dont find any let me know !
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818
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Post by Mark K on Feb 1, 2014 22:42:49 GMT -5
The first time I went to Saddle, I was on the phone with Dianne and Sheri while they gave me directions. I got caught up in that stupid triangle vortex spot and got lost for a few minutes. PLUS!!! they laughed at me. They though my pronunciation of everything was hilarious. Salome is spelled that same way as Salome. They just pronounce it funny in AZ.
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sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Feb 2, 2014 10:27:05 GMT -5
I did find a few good pieces.... If I had any clue how to post pictures I would.... I went to an area away from the location in the books.... The 7 year old we were with found the best piece!!! If course... Lol !! They are lower to the ground. I accidentally left a pile if some of the best stuff I had found the whole day in a hustle to get going,,,, I'll stop next weekend on my way to brenda and see if it's still there, if not, oh well..,, there is more..:-))
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Feb 2, 2014 13:28:42 GMT -5
Best fire agate location in CA is in Christopher's back yard!!!!
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818
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Post by Mark K on Feb 2, 2014 15:42:32 GMT -5
I did find a few good pieces.... If I had any clue how to post pictures I would.... I went to an area away from the location in the books.... The 7 year old we were with found the best piece!!! If course... Lol !! They are lower to the ground. I accidentally left a pile if some of the best stuff I had found the whole day in a hustle to get going,,,, I'll stop next weekend on my way to brenda and see if it's still there, if not, oh well..,, there is more..:-)) That wasn't the end of September was it? I found a pile at saddle someone left behind. |
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sarahr
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2013
Posts: 18
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Post by sarahr on Feb 2, 2014 19:16:34 GMT -5
No..... I just went yesterday for the first time since moving here in 2011......:-)) would have gone sooner, but always thought it was too far to drive.... Turns out it's just a little over an hour from where I live.
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There is more fire agate at Q?
