jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 13, 2014 19:55:39 GMT -5
The rough Montana is a bit bluer. But the coral held it's own. The coral is ready for pre polish. This is from the 10 pound chunk i chipped up on the youtube video. In shade  In sun  |
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Feb 13, 2014 23:08:08 GMT -5
Hell ya' buddy!
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Post by Pat on Feb 13, 2014 23:17:28 GMT -5
I didn't know Montana came in blue! All I've ever seen is clear with wisps of black and orange. Very pretty stuff!
Hmmm, is the big stone on the bottom the Montana?
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Post by pghram on Feb 13, 2014 23:41:57 GMT -5
Beautiful blue color, it should look super when it's polished.
Rich
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 13, 2014 23:58:43 GMT -5
Montana's a big state. It produces many different kinds of agate, not just the Yellowstone River dendritic type. The blue is from a different locale.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 14, 2014 1:30:25 GMT -5
Montana's a big state. It produces many different kinds of agate, not just the Yellowstone River dendritic type. The blue is from a different locale. Yes Rick. And it has great markings from dendrites to fortifications. It is good enough for me that my coral had such a trait in it's color. Never thought i would find anything that would compare to much of anything out west. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 14, 2014 1:33:03 GMT -5
I didn't know Montana came in blue! All I've ever seen is clear with wisps of black and orange. Very pretty stuff! Hmmm, is the big stone on the bottom the Montana? Pat, the Montana is the rough stone top left. The coral is partially tumbled and has the waves in it. |
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Feb 14, 2014 9:34:56 GMT -5
Montana's a big state. It produces many different kinds of agate, not just the Yellowstone River dendritic type. The blue is from a different locale. Rick, sounds like you have spent a lot of time in Montana. I only know of four named varieties, do you have knowledge of others? Blue can be found in Yellowstone river agates too.   And even in pet wood.  |
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Feb 14, 2014 9:46:18 GMT -5
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Feb 14, 2014 10:30:52 GMT -5
James, that coral is amazingly close in shade to the MT chunk! Nature's palette is sure complex.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 14, 2014 14:22:26 GMT -5
]Rick, sounds like you have spent a lot of time in Montana. I only know of four named varieties, do you have knowledge of others? Blue can be found in Yellowstone river agates too. Truth is I haven't spent *enough* time in MT. I grew up in Idaho Falls, ID and traveled to MT often for sightseeing, fishing and rock hunting. I'd very much like to spend a lot more time there because it's a beautiful state. As for named MT agates, I know of the Yellowstone River dendritics (which can also display moss, plume and sagenite), the blue (two types I understand), the amazingly beautiful Dryhead nodules; an attractive black and white fortification agate that has a name I can't remember; and I'm told there's another named fortification type that's mined near the black/white material. I believe those last two are found in the general area of the Dryhead deposit. I'm sure there are more: I used to find colorful agates and jaspers in the gravel pits up north near Havre. |
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Feb 14, 2014 14:53:31 GMT -5
Yeah, the Dryheads are nice. I think you are also referencing the Bear Canyon agate from the same general area, striking black and white. Cool how they were formed in sedimentary rock, but with volcanic silica found to be in the agates. There is plume agate from that area too, comes in a variety of shades, think it may be called Bighorn Plume. As mountainous and volcanic as Montana is I will wager there are deposits of agates waiting to be found.
I think Mel has actually dug for Dryheads back when one could get in there.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 14, 2014 23:21:00 GMT -5
That Montana agate looks heavy. Better take that one to the quarry to get sawn. Or bring the quarry saw there.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 14, 2014 23:28:06 GMT -5
That blue color is common in agates all over the world. Especially in fills in cracks like the wood in your photo, the deep blue Montana in your photo. Limb casts too.
Is that often refered to chalcedony ? The geologists in Florida say chalcedony is the fill in coral.
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miander
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Post by miander on Feb 14, 2014 23:37:49 GMT -5
Is that a real picture or photoshopped??? I love the blue coral and agate, being that most of the stuff I get comes from here in the Bay Area, I never see that color or quality - jealous! |
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jollyrockhound
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Post by jollyrockhound on Feb 15, 2014 0:51:34 GMT -5
Love the coral nice color.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 15, 2014 1:47:09 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 15, 2014 1:57:27 GMT -5
Love the coral nice color. Will be trying to find more jolly. Those blues are few and far. |
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Feb 15, 2014 9:36:39 GMT -5
Miander, thanks, welcome to the forum! Good to make your acquaintance. Yeah, I like making goofy pictures. . . it is the same agate as in the photo above with the yardstick.
James, Though there are many opinions on Chalcedony vs agate I would say that the healed fractures are definitely Chalcedony. If my thought is correct, agate is a variety of translucent Chalcedony that is concentrically banded. The darker blue little agate above has visible banding, and is an agate.
Though, if you look at the pet wood, there actually is banding in the wider area of agate, almost a fortification. I think the differenciation lies more in the mold than the silica. If it get laid down in a larger mold, it should have bands, and would be an agate. In clear Chalcedony, sometimes the bands are there but barely visible.
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miander
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Searching for the shop of my dreams...
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Post by miander on Feb 15, 2014 20:47:35 GMT -5
Thanks for making me feel like a dumb a$$ and thanks for the welcome! I think that's cool that you can play with pictures like that, I'll be lucky if I can figure out how to post pictures. |
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