kyoti
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2020
Posts: 542
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Post by kyoti on Dec 27, 2020 9:56:30 GMT -5
Just catching up on this post. That is one gorgeous Fairburn Boulder you found jasoninsd !! Looks like your new lens worked very well to capture the interior and exterior fortifications. The colors in that rock are amazing! It's the kind of thing you usually see in the Mexican agates. Now, if you bring home a giant piece of petrified wood that's the size of a log or stump, is it still rockhounding or is it logging?? 😀😀 |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 27, 2020 10:01:40 GMT -5
Just catching up on this post. That is one gorgeous Fairburn Boulder you found jasoninsd !! Looks like your new lens worked very well to capture the interior and exterior fortifications. The colors in that rock are amazing! It's the kind of thing you usually see in the Mexican agates. Now, if you bring home a giant piece of petrified wood that's the size of a log or stump, is it still rockhounding or is it logging?? 😀😀 Funny you should say that! LOL I was talking with my father-in-law over Christmas. He said he remembers seeing a petrified wood piece that IS the size of a log somewhere on the property. He said it was at least 15-20 feet long. He said he saw it decades ago and doesn't remember the exact location. He said it would take a back-ho to get it...so I'm thinking if we ever found it again, it would be closer to logging at that point...and the cost of recovery and transport would exhaust my hounding funds for the next 20 years! LOL |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by NevadaBill on Dec 28, 2020 15:00:36 GMT -5
Last rock looks mighty interesting, Bill, the swirly flame one. Needs to move to the front of the line over in the saw dept. : ) I nearly agree with you. However when I find large ones like this my vision is to keep them as paperweights, or larger whole examples.
One day I will get one of those large grinding kits for handling rocks of this size. Similar to how Rob (Jugglerguy) handles them on his Youtube channel.
Some day!
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NevadaBill
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Post by NevadaBill on Dec 28, 2020 15:20:24 GMT -5
Dude! That is a cool rock! Man, just look at the Agate all twisting its way through the middle of that.
... If I could find an entire hillside of rocks like the one I'd found, I'd slice them in a heartbeat! LOL But that's the only one I've ever come across that was anything like it... I think your agates are amazing! I love the micro-banding around the left one in the second picture...but that last rock you posted is an absolute jaw-dropper! There's no way I'd ever do anything with that one other than put it on a pedestal or replace the TV with it, or something along those lines! I LOVE that one! Ruin my post??? Ha! No such thing! Have you seen some of the things I've posted in some people's threads! LOL As far as I'm concerned, post whatever you want in my threads...especially when you're posting AMAZING shots of some gorgeous rocks!!!  Thanks for the nice words, dude! Well I didn't want to clog your post with a bunch of pictures but I think you get the idea. I think they kind of looks something like the ones that you posted. don't you? They look all twisty and have agate in them. As for your comment on the last rock I posted the picture of, Right On! That is exactly when I hope to do. Polish him up and put him on a bookshelf somewhere. Well, a sturdy bookshelf at least!
Maybe some day Santa will bring me one of them and I can get started on the big ones!
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NevadaBill
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Post by NevadaBill on Dec 28, 2020 15:28:50 GMT -5
Jean ... I think you nailed it. I mean these too are CLOSE! So close that they might have been POOPed by the SAME Dino, close!!
I mean, it looks like they were chewing on the same stuff!
I guess it might make a lot of sense that the rock is similar to that of the SoCal or Arizona desert. I found this guy along the extensive banks of the Colorado River. I mean, who knows how far it has traveled, or from where. But all of that Colorado river ends up going South and ultimately through California and Arizona I think! (not looking at a map). But downstream of what was once a very massive and swift running water source (according to legend of course).
I didn't plan on hyjacking Jason's thread, but thank you for posting this!
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NevadaBill
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Member since January 2019
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Post by NevadaBill on Dec 28, 2020 15:34:10 GMT -5
This one. Don't know what it is, but we find rocks just like that here in the southern Cali desert. While looking online for coprolite info/images, I have seen some people calling them coprolites! I don't think so.
that last rock of yours is interesting. I'm afraid I couldn't resist cutting it to see what's inside. rockpickerforever I doubt it's coprolite also. It just does not look like any coprolite I've seen. Thanks Randy! Maybe when I find more of them I will have the guts to slice it open. Yes, it does look a whole lot like regular Jasper to me too. I will polish it as a whole example some day when I have the patience and time to do so, most likely. I have smaller versions and they polish up just like Jasper too.
Jason, sorry to Hyjack this thread. I appologize, dude!
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NevadaBill
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Post by NevadaBill on Dec 28, 2020 15:43:40 GMT -5
So, I mentioned I had found something kinda neat/special. After talking with miket via messages, quite a bit of research, and a bit of assuming, I figured out what this was. This is a 19.2 pound Fairburn Signer. This is different than a Fairburn Agate. Essentially it "wanted" to be a Fairburn Agate, but just didn't make it. This is beyond HUGE for a Fairburn Signer! I just about fainted when I found this. This is huge! There is banding all over the outside of this rock. Did I mention this is huge? The farmer had moved large rocks into the river to act like eddies. There's probably eight or ten eddies right where I always park my truck. I had never really looked at any of the large rocks because Fairburn Agates are "never" that big...and that is my main goal while going hounding down there. I found some amazingly large pieces of petrified wood in one of those eddies, so decided to look at all the "boulders". Well, this beast was right by where I always park my truck. I've probably walked past it twenty times or more! Sheesh! During the research of Signers, I read a post from jakesrocks (he was the Fairburn Agate guru, may he rest in peace) where he stated there was a small chance that a Fairburn Signer might contain Fairburn Agate on the inside of the rock. If this gets cut, and there's nothing inside, then I've lost a 19.2 pound Fairburn Signer. If I don't cut it, I'll never know if it has Fairburn Agate inside. After much deliberation and debating with my own thoughts and getting input from friends (Mike!) and family, I bit the bullet and sliced the beast! The Signer banding does go inward, but so far there is no sign of being Fairburn Agate on the interior. This rock is VERY brittle and is losing little chunks with every slice. It's not worth trying to stabilize. I've only taken off two chunks and tried to take one more slab off one cut section. There's a lot more banding around the exterior that will eventually get cut off to see if there's Fairburn Agate anywhere else in the interior...but nothing as of yet. Anyway, here's some pics of the exterior banding and then the cut section with interior banding...            Holy Toledo, Jason! I think you have hit the jackpot!
You have a really good eye for spotting these rocks. How many other thousands of folks have parked right there too and never thought to go over and take a better look at the pile (of all of the other piles as well). Some of them had to be interested in rocks too. So you are able to spot the stuff that other people can't. It takes a special talent for this.
If it were me, then I would probably pitch a tent out there and live there for a few days just going through all of the piles from the eddies. wow! The colors and swirls are cool, especially on the second rock.
Thanks for sharing.
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 28, 2020 18:20:12 GMT -5
Last rock looks mighty interesting, Bill, the swirly flame one. Needs to move to the front of the line over in the saw dept. : ) I nearly agree with you. However when I find large ones like this my vision is to keep them as paperweights, or larger whole examples.
One day I will get one of those large grinding kits for handling rocks of this size. Similar to how Rob (Jugglerguy) handles them on his Youtube channel.
Some day!
I agree...leave that one whole! LOL If I could find an entire hillside of rocks like the one I'd found, I'd slice them in a heartbeat! LOL But that's the only one I've ever come across that was anything like it... I think your agates are amazing! I love the micro-banding around the left one in the second picture...but that last rock you posted is an absolute jaw-dropper! There's no way I'd ever do anything with that one other than put it on a pedestal or replace the TV with it, or something along those lines! I LOVE that one! Ruin my post??? Ha! No such thing! Have you seen some of the things I've posted in some people's threads! LOL As far as I'm concerned, post whatever you want in my threads...especially when you're posting AMAZING shots of some gorgeous rocks!!! Thanks for the nice words, dude! Well I didn't want to clog your post with a bunch of pictures but I think you get the idea. I think they kind of looks something like the ones that you posted. don't you? They look all twisty and have agate in them. As for your comment on the last rock I posted the picture of, Right On! That is exactly when I hope to do. Polish him up and put him on a bookshelf somewhere. Well, a sturdy bookshelf at least!
Maybe some day Santa will bring me one of them and I can get started on the big ones!
Like I said before...I don't consider any posts in my thread as hijacking...it's all "communication" of some kind! I really like that grinding kit! I usually don't find rocks big enough to make it worth it...but I can always think of a reason I "should" have it! LOL So, I mentioned I had found something kinda neat/special. After talking with miket via messages, quite a bit of research, and a bit of assuming, I figured out what this was. This is a 19.2 pound Fairburn Signer. This is different than a Fairburn Agate. Essentially it "wanted" to be a Fairburn Agate, but just didn't make it. This is beyond HUGE for a Fairburn Signer! I just about fainted when I found this. This is huge! There is banding all over the outside of this rock. Did I mention this is huge? The farmer had moved large rocks into the river to act like eddies. There's probably eight or ten eddies right where I always park my truck. I had never really looked at any of the large rocks because Fairburn Agates are "never" that big...and that is my main goal while going hounding down there. I found some amazingly large pieces of petrified wood in one of those eddies, so decided to look at all the "boulders". Well, this beast was right by where I always park my truck. I've probably walked past it twenty times or more! Sheesh! During the research of Signers, I read a post from jakesrocks (he was the Fairburn Agate guru, may he rest in peace) where he stated there was a small chance that a Fairburn Signer might contain Fairburn Agate on the inside of the rock. If this gets cut, and there's nothing inside, then I've lost a 19.2 pound Fairburn Signer. If I don't cut it, I'll never know if it has Fairburn Agate inside. After much deliberation and debating with my own thoughts and getting input from friends (Mike!) and family, I bit the bullet and sliced the beast! The Signer banding does go inward, but so far there is no sign of being Fairburn Agate on the interior. This rock is VERY brittle and is losing little chunks with every slice. It's not worth trying to stabilize. I've only taken off two chunks and tried to take one more slab off one cut section. There's a lot more banding around the exterior that will eventually get cut off to see if there's Fairburn Agate anywhere else in the interior...but nothing as of yet. Anyway, here's some pics of the exterior banding and then the cut section with interior banding... Holy Toledo, Jason! I think you have hit the jackpot!
You have a really good eye for spotting these rocks. How many other thousands of folks have parked right there too and never thought to go over and take a better look at the pile (of all of the other piles as well). Some of them had to be interested in rocks too. So you are able to spot the stuff that other people can't. It takes a special talent for this.
If it were me, then I would probably pitch a tent out there and live there for a few days just going through all of the piles from the eddies. wow! The colors and swirls are cool, especially on the second rock.
Thanks for sharing.
Yep...I knew this one was something special! But in fairness, it wasn't on public land, it was on private property. So there probably weren't that many people walking by it except some deer hunters every couple years or so. That's all the same rock...just a chunk was taken off the side of it. I've been watching the weather and I'm thinking I might get back down there this coming weekend...no tent needed...it's about an hour from the house. |
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NevadaBill
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 15:45:23 GMT -5
Thanks man. I totally understand the thing about keeping the samples whole and in one piece until maybe some day you get a bunch more and then become more comfortable with cutting them up.
I cut up a couple nice examples of rocks that might have made nice paperweights, just the other day. I was kind of bummed that the inside of the rock didn't look as special as the outside. But, oh well! Just move on.
I think that folks who recommend slicing the rocks up are offering up the best advice on a whole though. I know that all of your rocks here in this post of yours are all winners. And obviously I could offer up advice to make pendants out of all of them, based on my own experience. I would probably be inclined to right now if I found a rock like one of yours.
But I have a large bunch of bigger rocks that sit in various places in the landscaping and around plants and trees in the yard could all be safely chopped up and used for good pendants. But I just want to wait and see if I can get that cool grinder for big rocks some day and start working on shaping and polishing up those big ones! To me that sounds exciting. And it is worth waiting for, for me. So they will all sit.
I better stop thinking about it! All of this talk of polishing up the big ones is making me want to buy one now. Hehe. All in time. I hope.
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NevadaBill
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Member since January 2019
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 2, 2021 15:53:34 GMT -5
By the way, the other day when I was transfering out some of my rocks in to the polisher, I noticed that a couple of them were small versions of the large type which I posted in your thread here. Have a look:  Now they are only 3-4 inches wide. Not 10. But they are the same color and the make up is similar too. These two will get polish now but here is what they look like. I can tell you that they are probably all Jasper. Even though they might look like Jasper / Agate, or possibly speculatively may resemble Dino Poops to some, I am sure after looking at how they are polishing up (1200 here), that they are just common Chert / Jasper. Even though the shine on the clear or white looking part of the rocks is shinier than the red Jasper, it is not translucent at all. So I think it is something else. But it doesn't undercut at all. So it is similar hardness. I should take a picture when they are done. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 3, 2021 10:35:01 GMT -5
Thanks man. I totally understand the thing about keeping the samples whole and in one piece until maybe some day you get a bunch more and then become more comfortable with cutting them up. I cut up a couple nice examples of rocks that might have made nice paperweights, just the other day. I was kind of bummed that the inside of the rock didn't look as special as the outside. But, oh well! Just move on. I think that folks who recommend slicing the rocks up are offering up the best advice on a whole though. I know that all of your rocks here in this post of yours are all winners. And obviously I could offer up advice to make pendants out of all of them, based on my own experience. I would probably be inclined to right now if I found a rock like one of yours. But I have a large bunch of bigger rocks that sit in various places in the landscaping and around plants and trees in the yard could all be safely chopped up and used for good pendants. But I just want to wait and see if I can get that cool grinder for big rocks some day and start working on shaping and polishing up those big ones! To me that sounds exciting. And it is worth waiting for, for me. So they will all sit. I better stop thinking about it! All of this talk of polishing up the big ones is making me want to buy one now. Hehe. All in time. I hope. I really think some rocks talk to me...just begging to be left whole. I get wanting to see the inside, but we've got so much property, I can always find a place to put a new landscaping rock! LOL You'll end up getting that grinder! It's on your mind way too much not to! LOL By the way, the other day when I was transfering out some of my rocks in to the polisher, I noticed that a couple of them were small versions of the large type which I posted in your thread here. Have a look: Now they are only 3-4 inches wide. Not 10. But they are the same color and the make up is similar too. These two will get polish now but here is what they look like. I can tell you that they are probably all Jasper. Even though they might look like Jasper / Agate, or possibly speculatively may resemble Dino Poops to some, I am sure after looking at how they are polishing up (1200 here), that they are just common Chert / Jasper. Even though the shine on the clear or white looking part of the rocks is shinier than the red Jasper, it is not translucent at all. So I think it is something else. But it doesn't undercut at all. So it is similar hardness. I should take a picture when they are done. These two are flipping amazing!!! I too believe they are Jasper of some sort...I would LOVE to see pics once these are done tumbling! There's just something really gorgeous about the exterior of this type of material! |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 4, 2021 11:05:13 GMT -5
Need a drone to fly and find those big pieces of petwood... Thumbs up
Great for fossil hounding too..
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 5, 2021 12:04:15 GMT -5
By the way, the other day when I was transfering out some of my rocks in to the polisher, I noticed that a couple of them were small versions of the large type which I posted in your thread here. Have a look: Now they are only 3-4 inches wide. Not 10. But they are the same color and the make up is similar too. These two will get polish now but here is what they look like. I can tell you that they are probably all Jasper. Even though they might look like Jasper / Agate, or possibly speculatively may resemble Dino Poops to some, I am sure after looking at how they are polishing up (1200 here), that they are just common Chert / Jasper. Even though the shine on the clear or white looking part of the rocks is shinier than the red Jasper, it is not translucent at all. So I think it is something else. But it doesn't undercut at all. So it is similar hardness. I should take a picture when they are done. Jason jasoninsd and Bill NevadaBill
I happened to run across one of the larger red rocks I had been searching for. It was in a bucket of rocks collected over Memorial Day weekend in 2018. The location was out towards several of one of our prospecting CLUB'S (not ours) claims out in extreme SE California, a stones throw from the Colorado River. They call the area Potholes. This particular rock was found in a sandy wash with many more rocks and boulders.
This red/grey rock weighs in at 3 lb 2 oz, and is roughly 5" x 4" x 3".
Sorry for the blue tint to the photos, I took them late afternoon a couple days ago, should have taken them mid day. Still thought you'd want to see them. Will try to retake some today if time allows.
We are guessing that this is some type of metamorphic rock, but don't really know what to call it.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 6, 2021 8:05:59 GMT -5
By the way, the other day when I was transfering out some of my rocks in to the polisher, I noticed that a couple of them were small versions of the large type which I posted in your thread here. Have a look: Now they are only 3-4 inches wide. Not 10. But they are the same color and the make up is similar too. These two will get polish now but here is what they look like. I can tell you that they are probably all Jasper. Even though they might look like Jasper / Agate, or possibly speculatively may resemble Dino Poops to some, I am sure after looking at how they are polishing up (1200 here), that they are just common Chert / Jasper. Even though the shine on the clear or white looking part of the rocks is shinier than the red Jasper, it is not translucent at all. So I think it is something else. But it doesn't undercut at all. So it is similar hardness. I should take a picture when they are done. Jason jasoninsd and Bill NevadaBill
I happened to run across one of the larger red rocks I had been searching for. It was in a bucket of rocks collected over Memorial Day weekend in 2018. The location was out towards several of one of our prospecting claims out in extreme SE California, a stones throw from the Colorado River. They call the area Potholes. This particular rock was found in a sandy wash with many more rocks and boulders.
This red/grey rock weighs in at 3 lb 2 oz, and is roughly 5" x 4" x 3".
Sorry for the blue tint to the photos, I took them late afternoon a couple days ago, should have taken them mid day. Still though you'd want to see them. Will try to retake some today if time allows.
We are guessing that this is some type of metamorphic rock, but don't really know what to call it.
Thank you so much for posting pics of this!!! I wouldn't care how stuffed my backpack was, there would be no way I'd leave that rock!  It's absolutely stunning!!! I don't know if I could cut that one or leave it. I'd most likely leave that one as a whole and enjoy looking at it "as is". I'd love to see it along a walkway... I think it's amazing that out of however many rocks we see/collect that we can remember the exact locations of where we saw or picked up a "treasure"! (And yet I struggle to remember my wedding anniversary at times! Oops!) |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by NevadaBill on Jan 6, 2021 13:39:00 GMT -5
By the way, the other day when I was transfering out some of my rocks in to the polisher, I noticed that a couple of them were small versions of the large type which I posted in your thread here. Have a look: Now they are only 3-4 inches wide. Not 10. But they are the same color and the make up is similar too. These two will get polish now but here is what they look like. I can tell you that they are probably all Jasper. Even though they might look like Jasper / Agate, or possibly speculatively may resemble Dino Poops to some, I am sure after looking at how they are polishing up (1200 here), that they are just common Chert / Jasper. Even though the shine on the clear or white looking part of the rocks is shinier than the red Jasper, it is not translucent at all. So I think it is something else. But it doesn't undercut at all. So it is similar hardness. I should take a picture when they are done. Jason jasoninsd and Bill NevadaBill
I happened to run across one of the larger red rocks I had been searching for. It was in a bucket of rocks collected over Memorial Day weekend in 2018. The location was out towards several of one of our prospecting CLUB'S (not ours) claims out in extreme SE California, a stones throw from the Colorado River. They call the area Potholes. This particular rock was found in a sandy wash with many more rocks and boulders.
This red/grey rock weighs in at 3 lb 2 oz, and is roughly 5" x 4" x 3".
Sorry for the blue tint to the photos, I took them late afternoon a couple days ago, should have taken them mid day. Still thought you'd want to see them. Will try to retake some today if time allows.
We are guessing that this is some type of metamorphic rock, but don't really know what to call it.
Holy Dino Poops, Jean!! I think we have a match here!
You found these only 1 hour (drive) South of where I find mine, on the banks (quite massive, extensive for miles and miles banks that is) of the Colorado River. Yours and mine are the same!
You have a great memory to not only recollect having picked up some of these, but to also have knowledge of where. Which is absolutely important for our comparison.
Jasper, yes almost certainly (to me it seems). But from where??? I have no idea. And if yours were 60 miles down the road from mine, then who knows what massive deposit in the earth they were chipped from. But they are all round! Very round! And the material on my big one, and yours here is identical (I like to think).
Thanks for digging this up, and for taking the great pictures too! You have made this whole day more interesting for me.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 6, 2021 16:42:52 GMT -5
Jason jasoninsd and Bill NevadaBill
I happened to run across one of the larger red rocks I had been searching for. It was in a bucket of rocks collected over Memorial Day weekend in 2018. The location was out towards several of one of our prospecting CLUB'S (not ours) claims out in extreme SE California, a stones throw from the Colorado River. They call the area Potholes. This particular rock was found in a sandy wash with many more rocks and boulders.
This red/grey rock weighs in at 3 lb 2 oz, and is roughly 5" x 4" x 3".
Sorry for the blue tint to the photos, I took them late afternoon a couple days ago, should have taken them mid day. Still thought you'd want to see them. Will try to retake some today if time allows.
We are guessing that this is some type of metamorphic rock, but don't really know what to call it.
Holy Dino Poops, Jean!! I think we have a match here!
You found these only 1 hour (drive) South of where I find mine, on the banks (quite massive, extensive for miles and miles banks that is) of the Colorado River. Yours and mine are the same! You have a great memory to not only recollect having picked up some of these, but to also have knowledge of where. Which is absolutely important for our comparison. Jasper, yes almost certainly (to me it seems). But from where??? I have no idea. And if yours were 60 miles down the road from mine, then who knows what massive deposit in the earth they were chipped from. But they are all round! Very round! And the material on my big one, and yours here is identical (I like to think). Thanks for digging this up, and for taking the great pictures too! You have made this whole day more interesting for me.
Thanks, Bill. I did find this one down the Colorado River from you. I have found others much closer to home out at Ocotillo Wells. But I have my doubts that this is dino poo. That is what someone posted on Worthpoint, the link I posted. I believe they were actually selling that one, which was found somewhere in AZ. jasoninsd , I don't think I'll cut this one (although I know this material makes some nice cabs, lol). It'll sit outside with some other rocks from this area, that are already out in the rock pile in the front yard. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 13, 2021 23:47:04 GMT -5
I haven't found any Fairburn Agates the last few times I've been down to the river. However, I've found several more good sized chunks of petrified wood and clam conglomerates. I also found this. I've found a similar piece in the past and was told it was likely petrified wood. I still swear it looks like a coral of some kind due to its conical shape and texture. I cut up the other piece I found and will be cabbing it pretty soon. I don't know yet if I'll slice this one up.    |
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Post by stephan on Jan 14, 2021 1:33:17 GMT -5
Very cool finds. It looks like you have your “wood eye” dialed in.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 14, 2021 1:34:26 GMT -5
Very cool finds. It looks like you have your “wood eye” dialed in. Boy, would I ever like to have a wood eye! |
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Post by stephan on Jan 14, 2021 1:39:35 GMT -5
Very cool finds. It looks like you have your “wood eye” dialed in. Boy, would I ever like to have a wood eye! Hahaha. “Wood,” not wooden.  Like “pie hands.” |
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