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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 16, 2015 15:07:36 GMT -5
NEW PICS ADDED HERE: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/post/824281/thread
Picked up this little agate at a swapmeet in San Diego last Sunday. I paid $1 for it. The seller had bought a large lot of rocks from someone. He had already sold off the bigger/better/identifiable stuff, and just had the minor stuff left. He thought that it was coral. I was pretty sure it was an agate, and showed him the fortification lines on it.
"Front" side
"Back" side
Using my flat lap, I started working on the side showing in the first photo.
Not sure how this was going to work out, but wanted to get an idea of what lay inside.
You can see a lighter spot appearing inside.
Was a little worried about the crack, but it is not an issue. It's very hard, so took a great polish. This is NOT wet.
In the sunlight.
Looks like caramel wrapped around nougat, sans chocolate, lol. (Why am I always thinking of sweets?)
Unpolished "au natural" back side
Now, here is my dilemma... I thought about sawing the back off with my trim saw, maybe getting two pieces. But the blade on it is pretty thick, so would probably lose a lot of it (or even screw it up!). Maybe I'll visit my rock club's shop, now that they finally have it open, see if they have a small trim saw with thin blade. Or...
I can grind this down on my flat lap, turning it into a proper cab. Yes, because of the hardness, it will take forever.
But the last option may be the safe way to go, just in case it is hollow in the center.
Or maybe just work the back side, drill a hole through it and call it a large bead? Options, options... Thoughts, anybody?? What would you do?
Thanks! Jean
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 16, 2015 15:12:22 GMT -5
Nice agate Jean-glad it's your rock and not mine,hard choice on what to do with it....
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Aug 16, 2015 16:03:52 GMT -5
That's a beautiful agate, wonderful polish too. Personally I'd leave it as is.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 16, 2015 16:07:29 GMT -5
Classic Moctazuma nodule out of northern Mexico. I have a tub of them. Fortifications tend to be pastels with fairly broad bands. Patterns tend to be stronger towards the center but over 50% have crystal centers too. Nice find. You don't see them around a lot these days...Mel
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 17, 2015 19:13:14 GMT -5
Thanks everyone! Mike, I KNOW what you'd do with it (cut it, cut it, cut it, lol). NDK, I might just leave it, but then again... Classic Moctazuma nodule out of northern Mexico. I have a tub of them. Fortifications tend to be pastels with fairly broad bands. Patterns tend to be stronger towards the center but over 50% have crystal centers too. Nice find. You don't see them around a lot these days...Mel Thanks, Mel. Ya know, I think it is hollow inside. Don't know why I didn't think of it before, but the stone is somewhat translucent. I can candle it like an egg. Will do that and get some more pics. Jean
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Post by nowyo on Aug 17, 2015 21:20:39 GMT -5
Driveway gravel.
Just kidding. Nice little stone for a buck.
Russ
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 17, 2015 21:43:03 GMT -5
Nice red finger stone. Mel labeled that one, who would have ever known. I like the mystical alien eye peering out of it. Wonder if it has a crystal center ?
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Post by Pat on Aug 18, 2015 0:47:36 GMT -5
What is it? First picture and I could see that it was a Caramel Frappacino : )
Still a yummy caramel at the end. Good find!
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Post by pauls on Aug 19, 2015 2:56:11 GMT -5
I would be cutting it in half, if its an egg then it might be a nice crystal filled egg, if its a solid you will be able to see the rings and banding, for a dollar go for it.
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Post by adam on Aug 19, 2015 7:16:10 GMT -5
Splendid and spectacular shine, looks wicked great!
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Post by drocknut on Aug 19, 2015 9:54:37 GMT -5
I say cut that sucker open. I'm way to curious about what is inside.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 19, 2015 16:50:58 GMT -5
Yep a lot of the crystal center Moctazumas are little crystal filled geodes....Mel
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 19, 2015 17:30:47 GMT -5
I won't be cutting it until I have access to a thin bladed trim saw. Even then, I worry that it might crumble.
Mel, it may be hollow inside, but I don't think it is crystals. When I candled it, you could see bumps/bubbles like in a fire agate. I took some pics, but they kinda suck, think I can do better.
At one person's recommendation, I'll carve a little off the back, take down all the rind, and polish up the back. Then I'll candle it, and have a better idea what lays (lies?) inside. Hopefully pics soon, will aim for tomorrow!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 20, 2015 11:00:30 GMT -5
I predict fluorescent green egg yolk on inside.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 20, 2015 11:39:46 GMT -5
James, I'm gonna play with it today, will let ya know what I find. I think it will be more of a brown color...
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 27, 2015 14:53:27 GMT -5
Okay, I lied, didn't get to it a week ago, but I did finish it today. Yay for me!
Mel Sabre52 had ID'd this as a Moctezuma nodule out of Mexico. It certainly fits the bill. In fact, everything Mel said about it is true!
First I candled it. I saw "clouds" inside, so had a feeling it was hollow.
Someone (maybe a couple someones?) told me I should pare down the backside and polish it. So I did. Here's the start:
Hmmm, looks like a little bit of color inside. Sorry, James jamesp, it does not look like a fluorescent green egg yolk inside!
Kinda has the look of one of those fimo sticks. Pastels, like Mel said.
I started thinning the entire cab down a bit, so light could show through. By doing so, that hollow crystal-filled vug (right again, Mel!) surfaced. Oops, guess this is now the back side again.
Here's what I considered the "front" previously. Well, throw that look out the window.
Decided if the back side had the cool fortifications, the front had to as well. So I held my breath, and started whacking the front down. Here's how that went. A winner!
With the open vug on one side, and already curved, not flat, I decided to just go ahead and make this a double cab.
Front
Back
Front
Back
Front. The vug is super close to coming through on this side. But not.
Yippee! I finally finished a project I started on. At least it has me back grinding rocks again. Guess now I'll have to break out the wire, bone up on the tutorials and wrap the little sucker. (It does kind of look like a lolly-pop!)
Thanks everyone for your knowledge, advice and interest. Now that I know what these little nodules hold, I think next time I'll go ahead and just cut it in half, lol. Would be a lot less grinding.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2015 16:04:54 GMT -5
The side with the hole in it looks like an abscess or giant zit.(in trouble now). With some cheyenne pepper, yum.
I love it.
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cobbledstones
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 482
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Post by cobbledstones on Aug 27, 2015 17:16:35 GMT -5
Pretty cool, thanks for the detailed progress photos. I am always amazed at how patterns change ad you pass through a rock
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Post by tims on Aug 27, 2015 17:42:17 GMT -5
Gorgeous rock --- watching it develop was fun. Neato speckles and banding.
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Post by orrum on Aug 27, 2015 18:29:09 GMT -5
Jean you done good!!! Amazing fortifications!
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