rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
|
Post by rewdownunder on Sept 8, 2021 18:53:21 GMT -5
Has anyone seen this material? An old rockhound dropped off about 100lbs of it today but only knew it was collected before 1977 in the western US or Mexico. Most of the chunks are cut and it is almost all SiO2 of some type.
|
|
rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
|
Post by rewdownunder on Sept 8, 2021 18:56:54 GMT -5
I will get better photos outside in the AM
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Sept 8, 2021 19:41:30 GMT -5
From those pictures, it looks like it has a Wonderstone pattern to it. Could it be Hickoryite? (I just learned this material this week...)
|
|
hummingbirdstones2
fully equipped rock polisher
Vince A., 1958-2023
Member since August 2018
Posts: 1,461
|
Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Sept 8, 2021 20:35:43 GMT -5
Do a search for Goldfield Jasper (aka Bullseye Jasper) and see if you like the comparisons to your rough.
If you got 100 lbs of Goldfield that was a real "jackpot". If that's what it is, it will polish up like glass.
|
|
rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
|
Post by rewdownunder on Sept 8, 2021 21:10:54 GMT -5
Goldfield Jasper That is why I love this site!! After looking at the google photos there is no question. It does polish like glass I just found a face that has been polished. I am going to have to find someone to make a sphere as some of the chunks are eight to ten inches thick. The newspapers it was wrapped in were all dated July of 1977. Thank you Very Much.
|
|
|
Post by fernwood on Sept 8, 2021 22:40:49 GMT -5
WOW Amazing acquisition.
|
|
rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
|
Post by rewdownunder on Sept 8, 2021 23:42:20 GMT -5
I have found tons of information on the material on the web and several posts on this site. Look forward to making a set of book ends for my collection and will let club members who do lapidary work slab some of it up for cabs and spheres. One of the clubs I source material for tumbles rocks for school kids so I will give them some of the small pieces to see if it can be tumbled.
Interestingly the mine is still open and the material is available for a few dollars a pound. It will be a great addition to our clubs silent auction at our spring show. Reminds me of MOOKAITE from western Australia same color patterns and fracture. It is always great to put a name and location to something and this one came to me with zero information. Thanks again to hummingbirdstones for the quick ID. I was thinking I was going to have to sit on a big pile of rock until I could find out where it came from.
|
|
|
Post by rmf on Sept 9, 2021 16:16:29 GMT -5
The Rock name is Rhyolite. Which is a volcanic rock composed of fine grain granite (feldspar & quartz mostly) the marketing names include Hickorite, Wonderstone, and sometimes _ _ _ _ Jasper. They have varying amounts of silica so some polish better than others. It does look like wonderstone I have seen.
|
|
rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
|
Post by rewdownunder on Sept 9, 2021 16:55:26 GMT -5
All formed about the same from rhyolite flows but this deposit is much harder and has more silica than either Hickorite or Wonderstone (Lapidary names and different locations) which are sometimes hard to polish. I have some big chunks of each in the yard which I will line up for a photo. The goldfield jasper AKA bullseye jasper claims sound like a cool place to visit and there is material everywhere at the surface. It was written up in Rock & Gem a few years ago.
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
|
Post by Sabre52 on Sept 15, 2021 8:19:22 GMT -5
Yep, sure does look like Goldfield material. The rhyolite from that site is super full of silica so it does polish much more like a jasper.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Sept 16, 2021 15:31:45 GMT -5
I have buckets of goldfield. It is gorgeous and takes an incredible polish, however it does like to crumble and is full of fractures.
|
|
rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
|
Post by rewdownunder on Sept 16, 2021 16:33:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up. The big chunks look solid but I have not slabbed any yet. It has a nice solid ring when you hit it with a rock hammer.
|
|