ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 23, 2021 15:21:02 GMT -5
I really enjoy seeing everyone's treasures that they bring back from rockhounding, so I thought I'd post one, too. My finds aren't as impressive as most of yours.....it's a good thing I like chert! I'd probably pass out if I found some agatized wood or thunder eggs....it would just be too much for me.  Anyway, this is just from a gravel road near my house that I've never hounded before, and it turned out to be really good. Here's some banded chert. Some of the oranges will polish out (clay stains) and some will stay orange - it's always a surprise. The pinks generally stay pink.  Here is a nice nodule - I found an area that had nodules with a lot of black and yellow  This nodule has the thickest "crust" I have ever seen!  Since I walked to this gravel road, I had to leave this rock and drive back for it  It has lots of fractures, but it was too pretty to leave it!  |
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 23, 2021 15:24:49 GMT -5
And, of course, no rockhounding trip in the Ozarks would be complete without finding some quartz crystals  I thought it would be a nice cooler day to rockhound, but things heat up quickly when you are carrying a bucket of rocks!  |
|
|
|
Post by miket on Jun 23, 2021 15:48:38 GMT -5
Some cool finds, thanks for the pictures!
|
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jun 23, 2021 19:04:57 GMT -5
I really enjoy seeing everyone's treasures that they bring back from rockhounding, so I thought I'd post one, too. My finds aren't as impressive as most of yours.....it's a good thing I like chert! I'd probably pass out if I found some agatized wood or thunder eggs....it would just be too much for me. Anyway, this is just from a gravel road near my house that I've never hounded before, and it turned out to be really good. Here's some banded chert. Some of the oranges will polish out (clay stains) and some will stay orange - it's always a surprise. The pinks generally stay pink. Here is a nice nodule - I found an area that had nodules with a lot of black and yellow This nodule has the thickest "crust" I have ever seen! Since I walked to this gravel road, I had to leave this rock and drive back for it It has lots of fractures, but it was too pretty to leave it! The one above (that I didn't delete the pictures of...) is AMAZING! I love those patterns in there! I wouldn't have wanted to leave that one either! THat one would be one amazing display piece in the yard...maybe on the entry walk path up to the house, so everyone who comes over can drool over this thing!  Thank you so much for sharing the pics of your finds! There are several that have some great patterns! |
|
Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
|
Post by Brian on Jun 23, 2021 20:22:17 GMT -5
Those are some neat finds! Are you planning to tumble them? If so, I can't wait to see how they turn out!
|
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 24, 2021 6:43:35 GMT -5
Thank you so much, jasoninsd - yes, it would be a great display piece! I love it as it is! brian , yes I'm planning on tumbling the smaller ones. I'd like to cut the squarish nodule up a bit and then tumble it, and I'd like to face polish the nodule with the thick rind and leave the rind unpolished. I've not done that before, so I'll have to experiment on some practice rocks first! The large one will probably just stay as-is. I really like the way it looks. |
|
|
|
Post by paulshiroma on Jun 24, 2021 10:57:23 GMT -5
What a great way to rockhound ... along the road! Love it! And great photos. The area is beautiful.
|
|
saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by saxplayer on Jun 24, 2021 11:07:56 GMT -5
Great finds there! Do you have any that you have polished? I have some cool pieces somewhere.. let me look. I'm in MO also near STL Edit ; found  |
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 24, 2021 14:09:50 GMT -5
What a great way to rockhound ... along the road! Love it! And great photos. The area is beautiful. Thank you so much! The rocks were just starting to get really good when my bucket got really heavy and I had to turn around; so I'll definitely have to go back! |
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 24, 2021 14:14:04 GMT -5
Great finds there! Do you have any that you have polished? I have some cool pieces somewhere.. let me look. I'm in MO also near STL Edit ; found That is a gorgeous piece of rock! I do have some polished- I'll definitely post some on my day off tomorrow. |
|
|
|
Post by paulshiroma on Jun 25, 2021 10:18:03 GMT -5
What a great way to rockhound ... along the road! Love it! And great photos. The area is beautiful. Thank you so much! The rocks were just starting to get really good when my bucket got really heavy and I had to turn around; so I'll definitely have to go back! That is a problem, isn't it??? Too much to carry and so much still to find! LOL |
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 25, 2021 18:37:48 GMT -5
|
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jun 25, 2021 18:39:28 GMT -5
Many times, my backyard finds are fraught with fractures, but the tumbler usually smooths them out! And please excuse my "rockpicker's hands" - I just got a trim saw today, so I've been in the rocks all day!
|
|
saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by saxplayer on Jun 26, 2021 14:37:00 GMT -5
Those are some nice pieces!
|
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jul 2, 2021 16:16:54 GMT -5
I tumble A LOT of chert of many patterns and colors found in MO streams of which you show some examples. It ranges from dark grey--almost black-to almost pure white--and several tones in between including some slate blue. Many pieces have fusulinid fossils. My prettiest material has come from the far SW corner of the state. My best luck has been in the fall just before the leaves fall. Once the leaves fall, walking the streams is too dangerous due to slippage as well as rocks are often covered by the leaves.
Some of your photos are of low quality pieces in which some areas are porous beside areas that are tight and "gemmy" and will polish well. With experience after tumbling you will pick up higher and higher quality pieces. You can also cleave this material with hammer and chisel, or saw around the lousy parts which I do a lot. The NW corner of AR also has a lot of this chert too.
Gravel providers have mostly low quality lighter weight porous chert delivered. But, now and then I have found very high quality pieces by sampling railroad right-of-ways and also parking lots and islands around hotels and so forth in MO. Next year, I plan to go to Lincoln to get some Mozarkite.
|
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jul 3, 2021 8:03:46 GMT -5
I tumble A LOT of chert of many patterns and colors found in MO streams of which you show some examples. It ranges from dark grey--almost black-to almost pure white--and several tones in between including some slate blue. Many pieces have fusulinid fossils. My prettiest material has come from the far SW corner of the state. My best luck has been in the fall just before the leaves fall. Once the leaves fall, walking the streams is too dangerous due to slippage as well as rocks are often covered by the leaves. Some of your photos are of low quality pieces in which some areas are porous beside areas that are tight and "gemmy" and will polish well. With experience after tumbling you will pick up higher and higher quality pieces. You can also cleave this material with hammer and chisel, or saw around the lousy parts which I do a lot. The NW corner of AR also has a lot of this chert too. Gravel providers have mostly low quality lighter weight porous chert delivered. But, now and then I have found very high quality pieces by sampling railroad right-of-ways and also parking lots and islands around hotels and so forth in MO. Next year, I plan to go to Lincoln to get some Mozarkite. I love tumbling the chert here because it has so many colors and patterns. In fact, I think what you are noticing with the porous areas on my tumbled rocks are speckles, as there were no porous areas on these particular rocks. Also, some of the ones I like are already oddly weathered, like the roundish one with a pink outer layer. Sometimes I like their odd shape and don't tumble them as long in coarse. However, I am being more discerning lately picking up rocks because those fractures drive me crazy. Although I did just get a trim saw, and yesterday I opened up the tumbler, cut a few grisely areas off, and popped them back in the tumbler . That was great! I'm in South Central Missouri, and I find a lot of tan, pink, and blue in the streams and rivers here. I'm my backyard and in empty lots close by I find gray, white, purple, peach, and a kind of ugly mauve. Last week I did find a small area on a gravel road with true black and yellow chert, which I'm pretty excited about. Most of the black rocks I had found in the past only had about 2mm of black, so it often tumbled out. The chert nodules along that gravel road have very thick rinds, too, sometimes over an inch thick! (I have a chert nodule collection, too.) Fusilinid fossils- I had to look that up. I think I have some. I'll post a couple of examples and see what you think. |
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jul 3, 2021 8:22:45 GMT -5
Petrified wood in which chert is the replacement mineral is also common. I have many pieces and I'll bet you do also. Currently I'm getting toward the end of 6 months of tumbling about 100lbs of chert. Some of my favs are various shades of grey with many swirls and other patterns.
Look up Jay, OK and let me know how long it would take you to drive there in a private message.
|
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jul 3, 2021 16:18:19 GMT -5
Bob 100 lbs of chert - that is awesome! On the subject of fusulinid fossils.......I wonder if this is one?  And this rock has a pattern on it that I see often in rocks around here - I've been calling them fossilized sperm rocks (haha)  And this one, I don't know - maybe oolites? (Or maybe chert with chert speckles LOL)  
|
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 4, 2021 13:52:39 GMT -5
Bob 100 lbs of chert - that is awesome! On the subject of fusulinid fossils.......I wonder if this is one? Personally, I don't think it is. But it could be a fossil of some kind. Here are several pictures of a fusulinid fossil I found in the Colorado Desert. In California, not CO.     I have a few more, but this one is the best. |
|
ericabelle
spending too much on rocks
Instagram acct: @erica_shoots_everything
Member since April 2021
Posts: 482
|
Post by ericabelle on Jul 4, 2021 14:54:28 GMT -5
|
|
Anyway, this is just from a gravel road near my house that I've never hounded before, and it turned out to be really good.
