valuation assistance, please

unproven rough from an unknown location? It's not worth very much. <$5/lb. I don't see any color in your first pic and there are only one or two pieces that I would even consider windowing in the second pic. Most looks like white chalcedony and brown sard. Take the rough outside with some water. stand with the sun overhead or behind you. Wet the rough and look very carefully for nodules of fire under the chalcedony. look at the edges of the stones for color layers sticking out. look at broken edges too. If there's fire, it will stand out from the reddish-brown and white chalcedony. If the rough has a purple-ish "frosting" on the surface, give those an extra good look as sometimes that can indicate color, but not always. High grade your rough and sell the pieces that show fire; leave the rest in the yard. Pieces that show promise will fetch up to $25/lb. The rough must be absolutely exceptional quality to sell at a higher price than that, IMO.

Thank you Don and gemfeller, I appreciate the quick and detailed response. I was a little pressed for time and my not so great photography was particularly poor--my apologies. The pieces are from/for a local estate. I also have started pieces and finished pieces. Local is San Manuel Arizona on the west side of the Galiuro Mountains, but I do not know the exact locations where the material was collected.

Please elaborate on 'opal bottom', this is not something that I understand. I do understand/recognize the white chalcedony.

That is interesting, gemfeller. I have looked at these pieces a bit more and don't see anything other than chalcedony and uninteresting host stuff. Could you direct me to a picture of the opalite? Thank you.