kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114 
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Post by kradz89 on Aug 9, 2014 12:28:03 GMT -5
So I splurged and bought a 3.6lb hunk of my dream rock, malachite! I go to slab it up this morning, and this is what I have  It crumbles and is filled with this other stone, so cabbing it is basically shot. I just bought an expensive display piece for my own shelf apparently Is this a "never know what you get, sometimes shit happens" piece? Or a "should have done more research and not bought it" piece? As it appeared when bought:  0808141742 by kradzyniak89, on Flickr  0808141742a by kradzyniak89, on Flickr Some crumbly pieces and the inner matrix:  0809141121 by kradzyniak89, on Flickr |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2014 12:37:48 GMT -5
they break your heart sometimes don't they??
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kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114
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Post by kradz89 on Aug 9, 2014 12:42:18 GMT -5
My heart is in more pieces than that rock is. I have wanted malachite for years, well before I actually became interested in lapidary.
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 9, 2014 12:50:41 GMT -5
I'm so sorry! Can any pieces be stabilized and still used?
You pose really great questions- which I can't help with, but I'm looking forward to the answers.
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kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114
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Post by kradz89 on Aug 9, 2014 12:57:05 GMT -5
I might be able to come up with something out of the small pieces. I certainly won't be cutting the big piece anymore. I guess I'll polish up the cut surfaces and put it up on a shelf. It's still a beautiful rock on the non cut surfaces.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 10, 2014 8:14:17 GMT -5
That really sucks!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 9:55:06 GMT -5
About the only thing I can say, is that it appears someone either glued small fragments into one large chunk. Which sort of relates to when I spotted a bogus sale online.. seems the seller was attempting to sell Aquamarine.. but in punctuality it was Aqua Aura Quartz.. Lets put it this way.. several who noticed my post about the bogus Aquamarine thanked me for pointing this out and helping them save some green.
I think next time one should consult with the forum members before making any online, unseen or even in local shop purchases.. Unless you did and I missed your post.
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kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114
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Post by kradz89 on Aug 10, 2014 10:23:29 GMT -5
This was bought in person at the el paso rock shop. They do more wholesale than small scale stuff, but they are my closest rock shop.I don't see any obvious seam lines in the piece, but I am new to this so who knows. I think for a while if I buy anymore malachite it will be pre slabbed and off the recommendation of people here for sure.
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rockroller
spending too much on rocks
Be excellent to each other.
Member since October 2013
Posts: 359
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Post by rockroller on Aug 10, 2014 11:56:30 GMT -5
Malachite is probably my favorite mineral too! I've wanted a large piece like this for some time. I really don't think that you were duped in any way and that you only had the incorrect expectations about the piece. In looking at the original pic it looks like this was polished and sold as a display piece and not rough for slabbing. I have been to a copper mine and found some malachite. I've never seen it this massive in person but it looks similar to the malachite that I found growing on copper ore. Just my two cents. Really sorry that you didnt get what you were looking for. That was a really nice looking hunk!
~Roland
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 10, 2014 12:07:57 GMT -5
I think Zaire stopped export of unworked rough years ago so what you see now are a lot of these polished specimens..... ash rays, paper weights etc which we buy and cut up for cabs. I have a honking big one on my desk. Unfortunately,it appears your specimen was heavily botryoidal and not real solid so,, to facilitate the polishing process, they cemented and re enforced the specimen with some sort of filler. Their justification is, I suppose, that they sold it for a specimen for looking at not chopping up and that it appears the cement is visible in the first pics you posted so there was no deception. Rockshop owner could have mentioned it though, especially if you told him you were buying it to cut up for cabs....Mel
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kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114
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Post by kradz89 on Aug 10, 2014 12:46:34 GMT -5
^Definitely could see no white chunks when bought. But, I guess it is a lesson learned. He knew I wanted to cab some other stuff I bought, but I didn't specify this would be cabbed. I'm working on getting some small pieces out of the chunks that I cut off, the rest of the big piece will be polished on the cut sides and placed on the shelf as intended. :/
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 10, 2014 15:34:39 GMT -5
I think Zaire stopped export of unworked rough years ago so what you see now are a lot of these polished specimens..... ash rays, paper weights etc which we buy and cut up for cabs. I have a honking big one on my desk. Unfortunately,it appears your specimen was heavily botryoidal and not real solid so,, to facilitate the polishing process, they cemented and re enforced the specimen with some sort of filler. Their justification is, I suppose, that they sold it for a specimen for looking at not chopping up and that it appears the cement is visible in the first pics you posted so there was no deception. Rockshop owner could have mentioned it though, especially if you told him you were buying it to cut up for cabs....Mel Yes, Zaire embargoed unworked Congo malachite, Mel. My cousin was based in Kinshasa for a while as a helicopter pilot for DeBeers. He piloted execs to the diamond mines to bring back rough stones. While there he bought a bunch of big "ash trays" for me which were carefully worked so as to leave very attractive patterns for later slabbing. I still have a few nice slabs but my big box of rough was stolen from the storage shed I used temporarily while moving to my present location. I agree with your analysis that the botryoidal specimen was probably repaired for display and not cutting -- a sad outcome for Kradz "Ash Tray" slabs -- pardon the saw smudges, they'll sand off:   |
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 10, 2014 17:40:54 GMT -5
This is my Zaire paperweight, about a five pound botryoidal hunk kind of hollow on the bottom. Been meaning to cut it but I really don't much like malachite to work with and it holds down paper real good....Mel  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 18:25:39 GMT -5
I too totally dig malachite. Totally!! We all have lessons to learn. I have studied your piece, starting from your first image. It seems to me that the greyish matrix is visible between the bot's. I see an almost straight line of grey running left to right in the middle of the piece. For me, this stone looks natural as I see no seams where multiple stones can or could have been joined. To me this was formed when (molten?) malachite poured over existing rocks to make this natural composite. Please, forgive me if I am incorrect with any or all of this. Suffice to say I have bought my fair share of stuff that disappointed me. Learning curve can be steep. |
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 10, 2014 18:26:09 GMT -5
Mel: that big chunk should yield some nice bull's-eyes. Any old rock can hold down paper  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 18:58:29 GMT -5
I wish I would have bought a couple of pieces in Quartzsite and now your sad misfortune has shown me what to look for. Thanks for the lesson. Mel: that big chunk should yield some nice bull's-eyes. Any old rock can hold down paper Cut it Mel, cut it Mel, cut it Mel. Jim |
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Post by captbob on Aug 10, 2014 23:59:36 GMT -5
It seems to me that the greyish matrix is visible between the bot's. I see an almost straight line of grey running left to right in the middle of the piece. I'm of the mind that the "greyish matrix" is simply unpolished surfaces possibly (probably) coated with polishing compound down in areas where the polisher couldn't reach. I would like to see a much clearer, more detailed picture of the 3rd picture in the first post. Interesting stuff here. |
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Post by glennz01 on Aug 11, 2014 1:17:33 GMT -5
I just want to say i have some small pieces and they sometimes had that color of base rock inside
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kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114
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Post by kradz89 on Aug 13, 2014 15:29:19 GMT -5
Sorry for the delay. Here is a close up of the cut end that someone requested.  008 by kradzyniak89, on Flickr Also, huge, huge huge shoutout to gemfeller. He was amazingly kind enough to send me a few slabbettes of his malachite to help soothe my disappointment  Thanks again Rick! And I appreciate the little note in there too!  009 by kradzyniak89, on Flickr So far I have been able to salvage some small pieces from the chunks that crumbled off and I'm working on saving a few more. |
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It crumbles and is filled with this other stone, so cabbing it is basically shot. I just bought an expensive display piece for my own shelf apparently 
Thanks again Rick! And I appreciate the little note in there too!
