jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,602
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Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2020 7:49:36 GMT -5
jamesp, in a bizarre coincidence, just this morning before going to work I opened a 6lb barrel that had completed it's first week in alum ox polish. Most of it was typical silicon dioxide material. I forgot that I had thrown in a small piece of nephrite about the size of a watermelon seed. I didn't have time to examine it carefully yet. But it stood out among all the shiny rocks. It was satiny matt, no shine, and felt in my fingers like not much had changed from 1,000 SC grit that came before that. Perhaps there is a fine line between carving jade and other jades that may have a high silica content. If memory serves someone on the forum mentioned jade's varying silica content in some form or fashion. I had bought small pieces of expensive jade to tumble like a $40 slab about 4 x 4 inches from BC. And some pieces I found in thrift shops that were seemingly very old imported broken carvings. There is a jade 'shop' in downtown Atlanta that specializes in jade carvings form various dynasties. Something of a museum of really old relics with large price tags attached. The elderly Chinese fellow may not like old jade carvings being sold for pennies or some hack chopping them up for tumbles lol. So I thought better of taking the carvings in to his shop for appraisal fearing he might put a spell on me. We should have great respect for the way Chinese will spend years making a jade carving. I appreciate their tenacity and persistence to beauty and detail. Or anyone that is persistent in a goal. |
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Post by Bob on Sept 13, 2020 12:11:45 GMT -5
 The agate carvers in Nanjing really impressed me. As fast as they work, I'll bet some types of jade carving goes pretty fast. Here is #41-47, thus completing the samples I'm assembling. I haven't yet cut the charoite into 4 pieces, but will soon. Also got some more porcellanite and coquina to prep so that will have 4 of those after all. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,602
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Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2020 13:31:48 GMT -5
No surprise they are efficient carvers Bob. As far as tumple polishing jade it does puzzle me that a soft stone like fluorite can take on a polish easier than jade in most cases. China sends tumble polished calcite, flourite and many really soft stones to the US for resale. I do believe they use large bowl type vibes to do their polishing. As much time as I have spent on this forum I don't remember anyone tumble polishing calcite or rarely fluorite for that matter. Maybe you can find out some of their tumbling techniques. |
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Post by Bob on Sept 13, 2020 15:16:53 GMT -5
I'm not expecting anything of the calcite due to low Mohs and cleavage issues.
I return to China in a few months. Jenny, my Chinese wife and I plan doing much exploration there. I came back with 100 lbs of Yangtze river agates recently. Thankfully only that and no coronavirus. I was in Wuhan when it all hit the fan. Got out on Jan 10, 13 days before there was no getting out.
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Post by Bob on Jul 7, 2021 14:54:03 GMT -5
For those of you interested in this test, I'm getting close to starting it.
For those materials I've been waiting on getting 4 pieces ready, I got them for nephrite and coquina. The charoite was been a problem. I might have actually ground 2 of them to nothing as I've lost track of them. That might have been from starting them in 220. But 2 pieces I started in 600 are okay, so I probably will have to not include charoite in the test. This charoite is weird stuff, but I find it very attractive.
The only one then really holding this up is the 3 more pieces of porcellanite which have taken all this time to process. The stuff is touchy and brittle.
I was given some Alexandrite recently and might be able to include it in the test too.
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Post by Bob on Aug 30, 2021 17:05:55 GMT -5
FYI, I have remembered now that #17 above isn't Porcelanite, which is a form of chert (not that I have any or am sure what it would look like). It's Exotica Jasper AKA Porcelain Jasper or Sci-Fi Jasper. My reason for noting this now is I have I think finally 4 pieces of it ready. Gosh I have about 3 years into this already.
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Prov
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2020
Posts: 116
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Post by Prov on Sept 11, 2021 16:57:54 GMT -5
Great pictures Bob!
I'm actually pretty curious about where to get some Nephrite for tumbling. I looked a while back but I couldn't find any. I understand you hound it up while in China, but if you know of any sources (or would be willing to serve as a source) I'd love to get my hands on a few pounds.
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Post by Bob on Sept 13, 2021 10:02:52 GMT -5
I'm surprised you say that. There must be dozens if not hundreds of listings on Amazon, ebay, and Etsy. Of course, it's just usually listed as jade if from USA or Canada.
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Prov
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2020
Posts: 116
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Post by Prov on Sept 21, 2021 9:20:15 GMT -5
I'll try looking for some like that. I was specifically looking for nephrite and figured searching jade would find me jadeite. The stuff I did find was finished product.
Thanks for the tip.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Sept 21, 2021 10:17:57 GMT -5
I'll try looking for some like that. I was specifically looking for nephrite and figured searching jade would find me jadeite. The stuff I did find was finished product. Thanks for the tip. |
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Prov
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2020
Posts: 116
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Post by Prov on Sept 21, 2021 11:24:12 GMT -5
Thanks! Also didn't think to look on ebay. Started with a simple google search, but I'll buy some rough from there. (when I'm ready to start something new)
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Post by Bob on Sept 23, 2021 12:51:17 GMT -5
In addition to those fairly uniform pieces of nephrite in the photos above that are going to be in this test, I also have had a few small slivers of it in my recent polish batches, some in alum ox and some in cerium ox. Neither came out shiny. They just come out with a dull waxy finish. So unless tin ox or chrome ox produce some miracle, I'm not expecting nephrite to get shiny.
This is consistent with all I've been told in talking to people too--that is that it takes hand work to shine it. But before giving up entirely, I might try tumbling it in sawdust or walnut shells or leather pieces or whatever just to see what might happen.
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Post by Bob on Nov 27, 2021 23:50:04 GMT -5
Well, 3.5 years of prep is enough and I'm tired of waiting, so here goes.
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Post by Bob on Nov 27, 2021 23:53:11 GMT -5
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Post by HankRocks on Nov 28, 2021 7:40:05 GMT -5
It must be me but I am confused as to what the pictures are showing.
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Post by Bob on Nov 28, 2021 10:19:06 GMT -5
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Nov 28, 2021 11:12:39 GMT -5
Very impressive Bob ! Thanks for showing us your goodies! |
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Post by knave on Nov 28, 2021 11:15:59 GMT -5
Yeah it’s a great project! Thank you.
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Post by Bob on Nov 28, 2021 11:20:52 GMT -5
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Post by Bob on Nov 28, 2021 11:23:56 GMT -5
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