|
Post by manofglass on May 1, 2021 19:34:43 GMT -5
Welcome from Michigan
|
|
katie
starting to shine!
Member since May 2021
Posts: 39
|
Post by katie on May 1, 2021 19:36:55 GMT -5
Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by stonemon on May 1, 2021 20:07:34 GMT -5
Welcome from western Oregon!
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on May 1, 2021 20:17:53 GMT -5
So how big are the rocks. What shapes did you select? Starting small is probably wise. Where in nm are you walking. If you select reasonably shaped and sized and textured rocks your success will be enhanced and accelerated. We have lots of good quartz, pet wood, jasper and misc. Don't work with misc. They are frustrating. Show is your stones when convenient .
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on May 1, 2021 20:22:39 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from South Dakota! It's only as little work or as much work as you want to make it.
|
|
|
Post by opalpyrexia on May 1, 2021 21:11:02 GMT -5
Welcome from Washington.
|
|
katie
starting to shine!
Member since May 2021
Posts: 39
|
Post by katie on May 2, 2021 0:05:58 GMT -5
I did start trying to identify the rocks but I'm not the brightest so I usually have to dive deep to figure things out. I'm torn between wanting to dive into this rabbit hole or finishing other things I'm committed to. This rock force is strong. I can't quit picking them up and I haven't even found anything special. I can't imagine the pull when/if I do find something special.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on May 2, 2021 9:20:04 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona, Katie!
It's too late. You've already jumped down the rabbit hole. Welcome to the addiction!
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on May 2, 2021 10:02:19 GMT -5
Don't discount your efforts. If you show up, you win. Clearly you have some quartz and some quartzites and other metamorphics. Some, not all, of these will polish spectacularly, and all will be improved, even in a vibratory tumbler because you are collecting river polished rocks, already rounded and somewhat smoothed. Follow the basic vibratory tumbler directions and you will be happy. Then you should talk to someone to direct you toward nearby localities for petrified wood and agates (west of Los Lunas is an obvious suggestion). Toward the Rio Puerco west of Albuquerque is a little more nebulous and complicated by Native American lands. You are in good rock collecting territory, but need a bit more confidence in what you are aspiring to do.
|
|
katie
starting to shine!
Member since May 2021
Posts: 39
|
Post by katie on May 2, 2021 13:41:19 GMT -5
Thank you to everyone for the welcomes.
Peruano, Thanks. for all the information, especially the heads up on the river polished rocks. That makes me feel better.
|
|
|
Post by rmf on May 2, 2021 13:54:04 GMT -5
You never did say where in NM. I lived in Silver City a couple of summers while working in a mine to make $$ for school. The Tyrone Mine use to put out Chryscolla that tourists could pick up for free. I doubt they still do that. I collected riccolite (Serpentine) in the Red Rock NM area. Out on the desert between Deming and Mexico I went through old mines. Did not find many good rocks there but got a couple of rattle snakes. The best rocks I "found" was in the ditch behind the dorm at WNMU in Silver City. The Geologist summer camp dumped all the rocks they picked up but did not have room to take home. Easy pickens. I drove home that first summer with about 500# of rock in my car. It leaned to one side I am sure. Even the front passenger seat was filled to the top of the seat.
|
|
|
Post by rmf on May 2, 2021 18:19:42 GMT -5
The rock above looks more blue than Chryscolla though that still may be present they look like they may have azurite or maybe shattuckite. seldom are rocks are just one thing especially with metal oxides and carbonates. These are pretty much more impressive than the quartz. You are training your eyes what to look for. Keep looking.
|
|
Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
|
Post by Brian on May 2, 2021 19:45:40 GMT -5
That is a beautiful blue in that rock! I probably would have walked by it a few times not believing it was a real rock, too.
|
|
katie
starting to shine!
Member since May 2021
Posts: 39
|
Post by katie on May 3, 2021 13:33:23 GMT -5
I really thought it was painted on. I shined a UV light on them and they seemed to glow. I think that means fluorite - which makes sense if it did come from the water tower. It's kind of interesting that what I've read says it's extremely common and yet I don't ever remember seeing it.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on May 3, 2021 17:23:25 GMT -5
Welcome from Virginia! Sounds like you are really getting sucked in...... Welcome to the addiction. Those blue stones are keepers. Prolly azurite mix.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on May 3, 2021 21:20:43 GMT -5
Purty blue rocks! Most likely a copper complex (mainly azurite or shattuckite, or both) as the others have stated. Amazing what you can find when you really start looking, isn't it?
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on May 4, 2021 9:00:13 GMT -5
I don't think your blue stone came from the water tower. Sometimes you find stones that have been discarded by others and indeed often ones that some of us would consider keepers. Do the blue stones appear to have flat surfaces indicating they were cut on a saw? As an example of the above statement about discards, the New Mexico Tech Geology Museum in Socorro has an area outside the front door of the Museum (or at least did before the pandemic) where rocks that were brought in for id, or potential donations were discarded so that interested rock hounds could benefit from materials not desired by the museum. This might be a potential field trip someday (visit the museum, learn some identification clues, and score a keeper rock or six.
|
|
|
Post by joshuamcduffie on May 4, 2021 9:17:19 GMT -5
Welcome from South Carolina!
|
|
|
Post by victor1941 on May 4, 2021 10:00:45 GMT -5
Katie, welcome from Austin, Texas. Buy some aquarium gravel and some abrasive and you are ready to run the tumbler. You need to know if you have the UV-18 for rocks(blue tape on the bowl) or the machine for polishing metallic material. The rock tumbler model will give more use with the weight of rocks and is great for polishing. There are a number of members on this forum that will help you be successful and are very experienced tumblers with all types of rocks. Welcome aboard!
|
|
katie
starting to shine!
Member since May 2021
Posts: 39
|
Post by katie on May 4, 2021 15:17:40 GMT -5
Peruano, I went and picked up all other blue stones that I could find. I found them in the little stream bed made by the water tower. They went up to where the water comes out of the tower (I think it dumped 2 years ago). In some light there are a couple of pieces that look a bit Metallic but the blue comes off fairly easily - I can scratch it with my nail and after laying them out I see flakes. The first one I got because I saw a show on metallic rocks but it's no where near that metallic. Maybe I should post the rock on the rock identification thread. Victor1941, Thanks! We have the Chicago Electric. We packed it back up to take it back but right now the Thumbler's aren't in stock, so, while I have yet to run it (timing issues on my part), the CE will hopefully get me started - though I probably should have bought a smaller one. Thanks to everyone for the welcomes and help!
|
|