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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 18, 2014 17:00:48 GMT -5
A few more steals good deals.
Picked this cabbed bracelet of Dendritic Opalite (I think?) up at the swap meet for $2. 
Not silver, but may be stainless steel? Or base metal, no matter. 
I'm not a huge bracelet wearer, but at that price, I couldn't pass it up. I know how much work is involved. 
The woman I bought it from said a friend of hers that had recently passed away had made it. He was active in one of the big San Diego clubs. This swap meet is in Santee, CA.
I picked up this hunk of Dendritic Opalite (@50 cents/lb) a year ago at the estate sale of a man that had been in one of the San Diego clubs. He lived in Santee. Hmmmm.... 
Same person, ya think? I'm sure it was. Now, I didn't put two and two together and get four (I'm not always so intuitive, lol.). I showed the bracelet and rough to my sister, she was the one that figured it out.
I had also picked up a chunk of raw copper from the same woman. Paid $3 for it, thought I was overpaying at the time, but I've since learned different. It was a good deal.
You can be sure I'll take the brass-colored glue-on bail off of it. 
This was from someone else, it was in a box marked free. 
Don't know what the stone is, but it's got to be worth that much... Got a free chain out of it, if nothing else.
This one was from a garage sale. 28" long, graduated 1/2" to 3/4" diameter. 
Big and heavy. My intent was to use the beads, not to keep it whole. They are kinda big. 
Not the highest grade of malachite, but I was more than happy paying a buck for it. Okay, so I got it from my next door neighbor. It had belonged to her sister who had recently passed away.
The deals are out there, you just have to know where to look, and what to look for. And sometimes, you just get lucky!
Thanks for looking. Jean
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donkeyrokman
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2014
Posts: 78 
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Post by donkeyrokman on Jul 18, 2014 18:08:35 GMT -5
Kudos from another G-sale lover. You scored!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 22:04:25 GMT -5
Looks like $12 well spent.
I dig the opalit vs opalite bracelet and the fact they may be related.
I am saying sodalite from the free box....................
Thanks for the pix!
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donkeyrokman
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2014
Posts: 78
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Post by donkeyrokman on Jul 19, 2014 10:33:18 GMT -5
Wire wrapping by Homer Simpson. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 19, 2014 17:30:33 GMT -5
I am saying sodalite from the free box.................... I don't think it is, but I don't know what it is either. I have some sodalight, this looks different. Will have to take some better pics. Wire wrapping by Homer Simpson. Doh! Well, some of us (and I sometimes include myself in that group!) have it, some of us don't. I guess Homer don't. I'll give the person credit for trying. And I got a free chain and stone (whatever it is) out of the deal. Unwrapping it is not a problem! |
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Post by snowmom on Jul 20, 2014 7:10:32 GMT -5
wow! I love that you found the bracelet after you bought the slab... that is just too cool for words.
I remember seeing a recent thread that had some blue jasper stuff in it, and it looked like your blue freebie.. gotta go see if I can find that.
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Post by snowmom on Jul 20, 2014 7:16:37 GMT -5
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Post by mohs on Jul 20, 2014 15:25:22 GMT -5
unique finds and buys Jean
that yellow dendritic opali zed talks
and you think it was hounded in Santee area?
native copper rules
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 20, 2014 16:29:10 GMT -5
Thanks, Ed. I believe dendritic opalite is found in Australia. link I got it a year or so ago, at the estate sale of a man that lived in Santee, CA. Went to the swapmeet this morning. Pickings were slim, but I did manage to find a few deals. Have to get pics out of the camera yet. Edit - also got pics of the blue Homer wrapped stone, will get those posted as well. |
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Post by Pat on Jul 20, 2014 20:20:29 GMT -5
I love such finds! Your blue Homer rock reminds me of covelite. Money well spent. Thanks for the show.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 20, 2014 21:48:54 GMT -5
Pat, you're welcome for the show. I don't think the Homer rock is covelite, though, it is not metallic at all.
Here's a few more pics, I'll have to do some testing (SG, scratch test) on it tomorrow.
Scott thought it might be sodalite. So here is some sodalite rough. 
Cabbed. I'll admit that this is some pretty special sodalite, has chatoyancy! 
But no, that's not it.
Here's a few new pics of the Homer rock, taken today. 
The blue is intense, reminds me of a peacock. I do not believe it has been dyed. Also picked up a few more items at the swap today, I'll show you those goodies tomorrow as well. Hope y'all can stand to see more, lol. Jean
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 22:17:06 GMT -5
If it is iridescent/metallic, then I agree with Pat: very possibly covellite (and worth a lot more than "free").
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Post by Rockoonz on Jul 21, 2014 0:59:46 GMT -5
I have some sodalite of the non chatoyant variety with the white blotches and some with the small amounts of red streaking here and there too. It polishes up just like yours.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2014 9:39:06 GMT -5
I have to agree the shade of blue is incorrect for sodalite.
I wonder if it's Lapis. Perhaps local SoCal Lapis from Bouquet Canyon. It often comes in small chips like that.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 21, 2014 16:20:32 GMT -5
If it is iridescent/metallic, then I agree with Pat: very possibly covellite (and worth a lot more than "free"). Yes on the iridescent, no on metallic. Been busy this morning, will try to get test results this pm. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 21, 2014 22:12:31 GMT -5
I have to agree the shade of blue is incorrect for sodalite. I wonder if it's Lapis. Perhaps local SoCal Lapis from Bouquet Canyon. It often comes in small chips like that. Like this?
From Etsy. Well, here's the image, now I can't find the page, doh! (Got some more homework to do.)
EDIT - not from Etsy, but from here link
But my Homer rock does have these colors!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2014 22:20:30 GMT -5
yeah. Here is a ring Patrick (the lapis guy) made from Mt Baldy material  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 23, 2014 15:38:12 GMT -5
Here's a few more deals from the swap last Sunday, if you can stand it...
A double terminated black crystal, maybe schorl, but has a hint of green in it. I pick up stuff like this for ideas... 
Pretty sure it is stainless steel wire. Not too bad, better than the Homer wrap! 
Some weird rock, an agate maybe? Don't know what it is, except cool. 
Other side. Not a breccia (stones not sharp angles), maybe a conglomerate? 
I got this just for ideas. Also stainless steel. I like how they incorporated the stone, with the crescents of wire. 
The stone was grooved, also has a hole through the center. 
Twisted stainless wire, and flattened stainless twisted wire. 
The clasp. 
The stone has a dull finish, maybe a black jade? I just got it a few days ago, haven't really looked at it much. 
This is maybe a pill container, you could load it up and put it into your pocket. Or maybe it had someone's stash in it, IDK... Strange textured fabric with sparkles on the top. (I peeled it off when I cleaned it up.) 
Press button to open. Very well made, probably stainless steel, but could be chrome over brass. If so, the chrome is in excellent condition. You can see the forming marks of the side. No hallmarks or "Made in wherever" info. 
Reverse side. 
Insides after cleaning up. Will hold half a dozen or so narcotic pain pills, lol. 
After I pulled the "fabric" off the top, and cleaned it. It doesn't have much of a recess, but had considered cutting a low dome cab to fit. 
The above four items all came from they same seller. I paid 25 cents each (I'm not kidding!)
Next up is a pyrite specimen, this from another seller. 
Paid $1 for this. (It's not like I don't already have umpteen chunks of pyrite, lol.) 
Lastly, this did not come from the swap, but rather from a garage sale in Lemon Grove several years ago. Pretty sure it is sterling silver, but have not done any testing on it. 
Well made, again, no hallmarks. Someone once told me that hallmarks were required in the US after 1906? So maybe predates that? There is also no ".925" or purity stamp stamped on it, either. 
This was for carrying around the old fashioned wooden-stick matches. It had a small piece of emery cloth stuck inside. I can see a cowboy carrying this around in his front pocket, sitting on his horse riding the range. Or maybe even something won at a rodeo? 
Drum roll please.....
I paid the whopping sum of one dollar for this. Think I got a good deal? 
Done for now, go about your business. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jul 23, 2014 16:34:26 GMT -5
Like the smithing on that stainless bracelet. Nice collection. Will have to look up schorl. 25 cents !!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 23, 2014 21:28:07 GMT -5
Wow, I think you got a great deal on the matchbox. I don't know a whole lot about them but have seen them in some of the antique shops handling western materials. Pretty popular with cowboys before the turn of the century. I've seen them in silver and brass/silver plated brass. Antique store should be able to tell you if yours is silver. Whatever, really interesting find for a great price. I think it is uber cool!....Mel
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