Trouthunter
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2004
Posts: 63
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Post by Trouthunter on May 13, 2004 13:49:13 GMT -5
Anyone have any idea what I might be able to find up here in Washington. We have plenty of glacial till and, of course, some well known volcanic activity - Mt St. Helens only blew around 20 years ago. In fact, I have a bowling ball sized sphere of pumice that I found up on the Toutle River a while ago. It's almost perfectly round. No good for polishing, of course, but it's still an interesting rock.
I figured I'd do a couple loads of whatever I can find around here until I get a better feel fro what I'm doing, but I have to admit, I really don't know what I've collected so far. I'm looking for unusual rocks with a lot of color or veins of quartz running through them.
Also, how do you test hardness?
Ahh! So many questions. Sorry to bug you all with this. I'll get it figured out eventually. Father's day is coming up, so maybe I can suggest that Audobon guide to my family. It would sure beat another goofy looking tie.
Dan
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Post by sandsman1 on May 13, 2004 14:14:37 GMT -5
try this dan
Based on Mohs Scale of Hardness
Scratching tools: fingernail (2.2) copper penny (3.5) pocket knife or common nail (5.2) piece of glass (5.5) steel file or concrete nail (7.5) piece of corundum (9)
Notes for testing:
Each mineral can scratch the minerals with lower hardness ratings. Each mineral can scratch itself. Don’t press hard, normal scratching should do. Weathered surfaces are softer. Corners or edges of crystals are softer. Small pieces seem softer than large pieces. When you scratch, take a close look at the scratch line - which often looks white. Iis it really a scratch or is it a powder line made from the tool you used because it was softer than the item you were trying to scratch.
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Post by mrbrett on May 13, 2004 14:14:49 GMT -5
Go to your local book store. They will have books that you can buy to help you identify different types of rocks. Or look at the library
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on May 13, 2004 14:55:38 GMT -5
Washinton is loaded with great stones. The thing is, you have to know exactly where to look. Even if you're in the right place, a few hundred yards can make a huge difference. I would suggest buying the washington gem trails book. You'll find everything you'll need to know in there.
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Post by creativeminded on May 13, 2004 14:56:30 GMT -5
You can also go to www.amazon.com and search in the book section for rocks. That is what I did and I got two books 1) Smithsonian Handbook of Rocks and Minerals by Chris Pellant, 2) Encyclopedia of Rock, Minerals and Gemstones by Henry Russell. The second book not only has great photos and is in alphabetical order, but on most of the rock, minerals and gemstones it tells you where they come from. Tami
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Trouthunter
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2004
Posts: 63
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Post by Trouthunter on May 13, 2004 16:11:17 GMT -5
Thanks everyone! Sandsman - that's exactly what I needed - just something to give me a rough estimate before I toss the wrong stones into the wrong batch.
I'll be sure to check all those titles out. I tend to collect every book available on a subject when I get into it, so I'm sure that most of them will eventually be sitting on my shelf at home (or totally worn out under the seat of my truck). ;D
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