Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 14, 2005 16:57:01 GMT -5
Here are a slew of pics I just took of 6 lbs. worth of Moonstone that I bought off ebay. (yeah yeah...I know) While the pictures don't show it, there is a sheen on one plane of the stones. Some of the pieces are big enough to cab, while others, are good for the tumbler. I would love some help in deciding what's the best way to cut and make freeform cabs of the material to best highlight that incredible sheen that's dying to be brought out. I know it has a Mohs of 6-6.2 (something like that) and I think I have enough to take it all the way through my vib tumbler all by itself. So...before I mess it up, lets hear what folks have to say about Moonstone in general. Thanks! Question: Is this good/bad/ugly moonstone? First Pic:Lighter used for scale...  Question: There are veins of something or another within the stone...are these fractures or something "good" that gives character to the stone after it's polished. Or should I avoid these areas when cutting/shaping?     I searched a bunch of posts here on moonstone and saw some gorgeous finished ones by James. I hope to get a few that will look as good from this batch of stone. There is a grey one that is big enough to slab that has a red streak in it....if that's a good thing, I think it would make a gorgeous ring/necklace or two. Just got to be cautious with how I tackle that particular stone. The colors aren't terribly exciting..but hey..gotta start somewhere. ;D Last but not least, I've gleamed it likes TO for the polish...any other suggestions? Also, would I slab the pieces parallel to the sheen or perpendicular? I assume parallel and the sheen will remain at the top of the stone. Ok....  I'll be quiet now... |
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 14, 2005 20:02:17 GMT -5
I got these from The Rock Shed awhile back and I'm wondering how to break them up. This has a MOHS hardness of 3.5 that I'm not quite sure what to do with them! Suggestions? Any clue on the "special technique they're talking about?  ---------------------------------------  Close-up of the stone interior |
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Post by creativeminded on Apr 15, 2005 8:58:09 GMT -5
In the picture that you are asking about fractures, yes those are fractures and if it were me I would use them you might be surprised at what comes after tumbling or cabing.
Tami
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Post by Cher on Apr 15, 2005 9:24:42 GMT -5
If I would have gotten that stuff on ebay, I'd have been really pi$$ed when I got it cause it looks an awful lot like some of the quartz I pick up around here, right down to the colors. *smile*
Sorry Em, can't help you, don't know anything about moonstone.
Cher
PS ... that blue is incredible in that angelite nodules, what a gorgeous color. Nope, don't know anything about those either.
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 15, 2005 10:10:11 GMT -5
Cher,
Ahh happily it's NOT quartz. It is noticeably softer than quartz and does have a directional sheen to it that's nothing like quartz. (If that makes sense) I know when I photographed it, I wet it down too much, cause you really can't see the characteristics of the stone. Interesting stuff though and anxious to work with it.
Tami,
If I don't hear anything soon, I'm just gonna start experimenting. Though I will hold that grey stone with the red fracture for last...I have a feeling I'm going to like that one alot if I don't screw it up. :-)
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Apr 15, 2005 12:16:21 GMT -5
Em, can't really help you with whether this is good or bad moonstone. I know that the *really* good stuff is basically clear with a pearly luminescense, but that is gem grade so I doubt you bought 6 lbs of that unless you are rich. Moonstone is a type of orthoclase feldpar. It has a Mohs hardness of 6, in fact feldspar is what defines the hardness level of 6 on Mohs scale. Regular orthoclase is whitish or often salmon coloured, when it develops that pearly opalescense (sp?) then it becomes moonstone. Feldspar has very strong cleavage in two directions... if it is well crystallized and you line up a chisel along this cleavage plane, with a very slight tap the stone splits in two... nice clean break along the cleavage plane. I believe it is light reflecting off the cleavage plane that gives it the "sheen" you talk about. No worry about grinding this away, since there are tons of other layers beneath, all oriented exactly the same way. I've never done any cabbing, but I would think that if you cut it so that the sheen is pointing out, then you can grind things smooth and polish and the sheen will still be oriented in exactly the same direction. I am a bit confused about the "pearly" part.... I don't know if this refers to the sheen, a particular colour of the sheen, or something else. Below I've put in a couple pics of regular orthoclase. This has been tumbled through coarse grind only. The pics were taken with the stone dry, and I think it shows the sheen better than your wet pics. The two pics were taken seconds apart, in the same lighting, and just by rotating the stone a bit so that the cleavage plane lined up with the light, that produces the bright sheen. I think this is what you meant?   |
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 15, 2005 12:23:37 GMT -5
Ahh EXACTLY what I needed to know. I had a feeling I had to break it parallel to the sheen. If you notice in the photos, you'll find alot of "rectangular" shapes that either were intentionally broken along that line or were done that way by nature.
The stone I have has a much finer texture to it.... and it almost looks like Mica (you know how it develops in layers? Though not nearly as soft.)
I'm about to photograph a few of the pieces dry to see if I can get the sheen to show up. This will be an interesting experiment. Gonna try and finish one piece (with photos) this weekend.
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Post by Cher on Apr 15, 2005 12:24:30 GMT -5
Now you've got me really wondering if some of the stuff I've gathered, thinking it was just different kind of quartz would be moonstone. I know what you mean about that sheen that some of it shows. I've got some stuff that looks exactly like the pieces in pics 2 and 3.
Cher
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 15, 2005 12:31:27 GMT -5
Cher,
Time to do the quartz test on those....
Rub a piece that you know is quartz or agate on those and see if it scratches it at all. You might have found some moonstone! ;D
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Post by Tweetiepy on Apr 15, 2005 13:02:00 GMT -5
RollingStone, I have a tiny piece that looks exactly like that (now I know the name of 5 types of rock - just kidding - no I'm not  ) I was wondering what to call that pearly thingy it does. |
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 15, 2005 13:27:41 GMT -5
Here's a pic that shows the sheen a bit.... I didn't turn it all the way cause the pic would have blasted the camera with too much light reflection. It's reflective...that's for sure! Gonna go play with it now and see what happens!  ________________________________________  |
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Emerald
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 417
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Post by Emerald on Apr 15, 2005 14:33:08 GMT -5
I couldn't cleave that tiny a piece, so I cut it in half on the saw....picked one side and started to shape it....  _________________________  _________________________  _________________________  more to follow.... |
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 15, 2005 22:30:23 GMT -5
So many of those pieces look like the perfect size for a vibe tumbler. I would want to go that route, but then, I have not sccumned to the "cab" effect.
Good luck!
cookie
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I'll be quiet now...
) I was wondering what to call that pearly thingy it does.
