NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,688
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Post by NRG on Dec 10, 2019 21:56:54 GMT -5
Yeah, it is "Tiffany" (bertrandite opal fluorite). Somewhere, I still have some with dendrites and similar coloring. Bertrandite is the beryllium ore and may or may not be present. Brushy Mountain allows the lapidary material when they don't suspect any beryllium is present. I spoke to their office a bunch of year ago. This came from there manager on duty that day. Brushy mountain doesn't knowingly sell any beryllium containing ore. I'm not challenging you or being argumentative in any way. Just sharing knowledge. This piece is exactly like amy-sage. I don't deny it's Tiffany. At all. It's certainly possible. But is a definite look alike.a |
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller 
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491 
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Post by fishnpinball on Dec 11, 2019 4:45:48 GMT -5
Tiffany stone is very likely to have an issue, a lot of folks stabilize it prior to working it. I don't think I have worked a piece yet that did not break somewhere while I was either doing preform or grinding.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 11, 2019 5:12:00 GMT -5
I feel your pain. Hopefully you can save it.
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 11, 2019 6:18:37 GMT -5
I sold a large, beautiful Tiff some years ago and the owner was thrilled to get it.... until her jeweler went to set it and it broke. Tiffany is evil, but oh so beautiful.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 11, 2019 8:58:54 GMT -5
Dang, Mike, that sucks! You might consider doing an artistic repair to it -- glue a strip of metal to each side of the break (you'd have to sand the edges flat first to match) and then re-shape it. Might look pretty cool. A strip of brass might do it.
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Post by RocksInNJ on Dec 11, 2019 9:15:06 GMT -5
Dang, Mike, that sucks! You might consider doing an artistic repair to it -- glue a strip of metal to each side of the break (you'd have to sand the edges flat first to match) and then re-shape it. Might look pretty cool. A strip of brass might do it. Well that’s a pretty interesting idea. |
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Post by miket on Dec 11, 2019 10:13:18 GMT -5
Here's the other one I purchased- I was told that it was also Tiffany. I didn't have time to work it last night, maybe at lunch today, but I'm a bit nervous about what might be some fractures at the top. I still think it looks like a tree with a sunset behind it.   |
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Post by miket on Dec 11, 2019 10:16:55 GMT -5
I sold a large, beautiful Tiff some years ago and the owner was thrilled to get it.... until her jeweler went to set it and it broke. Tiffany is evil, but oh so beautiful. Dang, I just posted a pic of my last piece. I'm not sure how stable it will be- any ideas, Tela? |
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Post by RocksInNJ on Dec 11, 2019 11:26:39 GMT -5
Here's the other one I purchased- I was told that it was also Tiffany. I didn't have time to work it last night, maybe at lunch today, but I'm a bit nervous about what might be some fractures at the top. I still think it looks like a tree with a sunset behind it. Man I would just polish that up and leave it as is. It does look like a tree with a sunset. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 11, 2019 12:22:09 GMT -5
Here's the other one I purchased- I was told that it was also Tiffany. I didn't have time to work it last night, maybe at lunch today, but I'm a bit nervous about what might be some fractures at the top. I still think it looks like a tree with a sunset behind it.
This looks less like tiff, however, there is such a thing as red Tiffany. And most of the ones I have seen have dendrites.
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Post by miket on Dec 11, 2019 12:36:37 GMT -5
Here's the other one I purchased- I was told that it was also Tiffany. I didn't have time to work it last night, maybe at lunch today, but I'm a bit nervous about what might be some fractures at the top. I still think it looks like a tree with a sunset behind it.
This looks less like tiff, however, there is such a thing as red Tiffany. And most of the ones I have seen have dendrites.
Yeah, I only know what I was told- you guys definitely know more than I do. Either way, I had to get this slab- I just couldn't resist. Next year I'm going to "prepare" financially before the rock show comes- there was so much more I would have loved to bring home! |
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 11, 2019 12:38:26 GMT -5
This looks less like tiff, however, there is such a thing as red Tiffany. And most of the ones I have seen have dendrites.
Yeah, I only know what I was told- you guys definitely know more than I do. Either way, I had to get this slab- I just couldn't resist. Next year I'm going to "prepare" financially before the rock show comes- there was so much more I would have loved to bring home! I hear ya! If I ever make it to Quartzite, I'll need to clear out my savings first. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2019 14:25:16 GMT -5
I don't doubt that the second piece is "Tiffany" too. Nice scene, but if you want to cab it (or even polish it if thin), my suggestion is still to back it with something sturdy as a doublet before starting to work it.White can be bertrandite, opalite and/or fluorite; Purple and Violet Blue are a mix of bertrandite and fluorite; Clear is either chalcedony or fluorite; Red and Peach are opal or chalcedony containing manganese oxides; Black outlines and dendrites are also manganese oxides; Gray can be opalite rind or mixes; Buff and brown colors are mixes. Green is the rarest color. Minor constituents can also include anhydrite, calcite, cobalt, dolomite, feldspar, rhodonite. Some of the forms this takes are not at all the typical purple stones: First piece gets regularly mistaken for youngite. I agree that the Brush-Wellman mine folks both up on Spor Mt. and down at the plant haven't allowed collecting at all for over a decade. They weren't always so strict, however, and quite a bit of the prettier rocks were taken out before that (both in employees taking some home with them, some authorized digs, and some unauthorized). Supposed to be a couple of other claims in the area, but haven't heard much about those and likely very little production without some serious investment and heavy equipment. |
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Post by miket on Dec 11, 2019 15:16:50 GMT -5
I don't doubt that the second piece is "Tiffany" too. Nice scene, but if you want to cab it (or even polish it if thin), my suggestion is still to back it with something sturdy as a doublet before starting to work it.White can be bertrandite, opalite and/or fluorite; Purple and Violet Blue are a mix of bertrandite and fluorite; Clear is either chalcedony or fluorite; Red and Peach are opal or chalcedony containing manganese oxides; Black outlines and dendrites are also manganese oxides; Gray can be opalite rind or mixes; Buff and brown colors are mixes. Green is the rarest color. Minor constituents can also include anhydrite, calcite, cobalt, dolomite, feldspar, rhodonite. Some of the forms this takes are not at all the typical purple stones:
First piece gets regularly mistaken for youngite. I agree that the Brush-Wellman mine folks both up on Spor Mt. and down at the plant haven't allowed collecting at all for over a decade. They weren't always so strict, however, and quite a bit of the prettier rocks were taken out before that (both in employees taking some home with them, some authorized digs, and some unauthorized). Supposed to be a couple of other claims in the area, but haven't heard much about those and likely very little production without some serious investment and heavy equipment. Thanks for the information, very interesting. However, I started cabbing it at lunch! Going to put up a picture. The white was SUPER soft, so I got rid of most of it. The rest of the stone- so far- has been surprisingly stable. |
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Post by miket on Dec 11, 2019 15:19:10 GMT -5
I decided to actually post this as a true work in progress, so I'll probably be posting several pics if no one minds. Here's where I'm at so far. I've never been much of a frame a scene cabber yet, so this is my first attempt. I've always been more of a cut the rock and see how it comes out person. :  |
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Post by fernwood on Dec 11, 2019 15:42:57 GMT -5
What a beautiful scene.
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 11, 2019 16:31:25 GMT -5
Oh wow! That's a gorgeous tree!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 11, 2019 21:02:10 GMT -5
Just beautiful, Mike! Excellent cab.
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Post by TheRock on Dec 12, 2019 4:09:59 GMT -5
Man that was a real PITA but glad this last one looks like a real beauty. Great job on it.  |
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Post by miket on Dec 12, 2019 10:21:10 GMT -5
Just beautiful, Mike! Excellent cab. Thanks, Robin! It's got a ways to go, however, I just started on it yesterday. Probably another hour or so shaping it- hopefully I'll get a chance today at lunch. Hopefully I don't butterfinger this one!  |
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