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Post by perkins17 on Jul 2, 2022 22:27:03 GMT -5
I've decided to put together a thread of everyone's favorite material to cab or see in a cab. Add on your personal favorites and materials that you would love to work. There aren't really any rules, I'm just curious of other likes. Here's my favorites that I've worked: Tiger eye Montana moss agate Opalized wood Kingston conglomerate Jade Garnet Mexican crazy lace Brazilian agate Labradorite Tiger eye is super pleasing to the eye, and I love the color. Garnet is an easy cab, and there are many colors and some have stars when properly cut. Crazy lace comes in many varieties that are easy to cut and polish, with intricate details. Labradorite 's flash is really nice, plus it is easy to work on the wheels and takes a great shine. My dream list: Lightening ridge fire opal Chrysoprase Bat cave Jasper Velvet sheen obsidian Silver ore Ruby in fuschite Blue turquoise Sonora sunrise Malachite Biggs jasper Opal I'd a dream of mine because I want to see if my skills would hold up on such a tough material. Silver ore is just overall awesomeness. It reminds me of coins and I like the color. Ruby in fuschite is some neat stuff that has reay cool color and looks like a fun material to cab. Malachite is a favorite of mine solely because of the color. Copper materials really attract me for some reason. Feel free to add reasons why as well!  Let's get this party started!  -Nicholas |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2022 22:58:34 GMT -5
perkins17I have nothing to offer. I’m no cabber. But I really enjoy seeing your guys and gals cabs!
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 3, 2022 0:53:23 GMT -5
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quartzilla
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,240
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Post by quartzilla on Jul 3, 2022 7:56:28 GMT -5
Start slabbin James! Any of those would be amazing!
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Post by liveoak on Jul 3, 2022 8:38:36 GMT -5
I guess it's too early in the game for me to have a favorite rock to cab, Nicholas perkins17. Lots of pretty rocks out there - but still learning which ones do what well :-)
Patty
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,497
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Post by realrockhound on Jul 3, 2022 13:19:28 GMT -5
Borthwick plume.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jul 3, 2022 13:22:29 GMT -5
I love working Kordite boulder opal. I don't have much of it left but I do have a few stunning pieces (hopefully). I also love banded and Moss Agates. As for dream material it would have to be Laguana Agates. Just can't afford them. Oh and High quality (or even low quality) Fire Agates.
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 3, 2022 19:10:56 GMT -5
Start slabbin James! Any of those would be amazing! I have slabbed some of the cataclasite. Have some other stuff set aside to get slabbed, but need to get down to the club shop. Have no had time to get down there when they are open. So mainly cabbing stuff I have had laying around here already set to go.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
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Post by Sabre52 on Jul 4, 2022 13:08:43 GMT -5
Any fortification agate and all fossils that polish especially George West wood, and palm root and fiber from California and Texas.
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Post by perkins17 on Jul 4, 2022 18:58:57 GMT -5
I love working Kordite boulder opal. I don't have much of it left but I do have a few stunning pieces (hopefully). I also love banded and Moss Agates. As for dream material it would have to be Laguana Agates. Just can't afford them. Oh and High quality (or even low quality) Fire Agates. Ooh boulder opal... Gotta add that to my dream list. Maybe once the club has a sale I'll buy some. Fire agate is going on the dream list too I've got some small pieces I inherited that I don't want to work. |
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Post by mohs on Jul 4, 2022 19:01:53 GMT -5
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Post by perkins17 on Jul 5, 2022 1:15:18 GMT -5
Any fortification agate and all fossils that polish especially George West wood, and palm root and fiber from California and Texas. I love fortification agate as well. Woods are a favorite of mine because my Grandpa had a ton of it from the saddle mountains in his yard when I was younger. Never done any palm root, but I'd love to work it some day. |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 5, 2022 5:40:31 GMT -5
This is a chalcedony, possibly with some opal from Southern Nevada. |
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Post by rmf on Jul 5, 2022 15:10:59 GMT -5
vegasjames I would like to know what pic 2 & 3 are, if you know. As for rocks to cut? Lake Superior Tennessee Agate (Includes Paint Rock Agater and Kentucky Agate) TN puddingstone Royal Aztec Agate Agua Neuva Agate Bruno Jasper Imperial Jasper Montana Agate Dino Bone Rutilated Quartz Blue Chalcedony Motorolite Tabu Tabu Jasper Anything I have not cut before.
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 5, 2022 19:48:28 GMT -5
vegasjames I would like to know what pic 2 & 3 are, if you know. As for rocks to cut? Lake Superior Tennessee Agate (Includes Paint Rock Agater and Kentucky Agate) TN puddingstone Royal Aztec Agate Agua Neuva Agate Bruno Jasper Imperial Jasper Montana Agate Dino Bone Rutilated Quartz Blue Chalcedony Motorolite Tabu Tabu Jasper Anything I have not cut before. 2 is a brecciared jasper and 3 I would say is more of a common chalcedony. Slabbed 3, but have not cabbed any yet. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Jul 5, 2022 21:47:24 GMT -5
In no particular order...
Polkadot Agate
Palm Root
Amethyst sage
Owyhee Gem Picture Jasper
Rocky Butte Picture Jasper
Willow Creek PJ
Mexican Lace varieties
Varisite and related ore rocks
Jade
Orbicular and poppy jaspers
Plumes
Chatoyent and sheen/fire/flash rocks
for a few. Hard to pick a single one, except maybe whatever is in my hand at any given moment,
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rime
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2021
Posts: 11
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Post by rime on Jul 6, 2022 4:39:25 GMT -5
Been a while since I did cabbing, but... I'm really fond of agates and warm chalcedony colours, cutting for pattern or saturation depending on fortification transparency. Probably safe to say everyone likes a good agate here. Also chatoyant materials, but they are somewhat easier for me to acquire, if not in great quality, a lot of faceting rough vendors like to sell the better stuff though.
-Yellow montana agates (just a versatile material and you get many many good looks out of a single piece of rough)  -Chalcedony with red speckles (thunder egg origin, not moss)  -Any agate with symmetrically opposing borytroidal growth (patterns are hard to buy as lots and need hand inspection)  -Blue/Red Coyamito agate crusts (the blue can have interesting borytroidal textures)  -Orange chalcedony (this material was unheated and is almost neon orange, I have like 5 grams)  -Idocrase (cuts GREAT, if you can get an unfractured piece)  -Black Moonstone (it's a struggle to acquire saturated stuff)  |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 6, 2022 5:03:44 GMT -5
Been a while since I did cabbing, but... I'm really fond of agates and warm chalcedony colours, cutting for pattern or saturation depending on fortification transparency. Probably safe to say everyone likes a good agate here. Also chatoyant materials, but they are somewhat easier for me to acquire, if not in great quality, a lot of faceting rough vendors like to sell the better stuff though.
-Yellow montana agates (just a versatile material and you get many many good looks out of a single piece of rough) -Chalcedony with red speckles (thunder egg origin, not moss) -Any agate with symmetrically opposing borytroidal growth (patterns are hard to buy as lots and need hand inspection) -Blue/Red Coyamito agate crusts (the blue can have interesting borytroidal textures) -Orange chalcedony (this material was unheated and is almost neon orange, I have like 5 grams) -Idocrase (cuts GREAT, if you can get an unfractured piece) -Black Moonstone (it's a struggle to acquire saturated stuff) There was a remote mine here in Nevada that had a bunch of orange chalcedony on the face, and purple chalcedony over the top of the mine. I led a group of people out to collect in the area, including the mine. When I went back about a month later all the orange chalcedony had been removed and a good portion of the purple had also been removed. |
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rime
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2021
Posts: 11
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Post by rime on Jul 6, 2022 5:08:04 GMT -5
There was a remote mine here in Nevada that had a bunch of orange chalcedony on the face, and purple chalcedony over the top of the mine. I led a group of people out to collect in the area, including the mine. When I went back about a month later all the orange chalcedony had been removed and a good portion of the purple had also been removed. That's very sad to hear, here in Australia a lot of fossicking areas have been closed due to the locations being leaked and "business" oriented people coming in with illegal equipment to mine at a greater rate than allowed. Chances are a similar thing happened to your site too. Surprised the two colours were so close together, do you have pictures of the material?
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 6, 2022 12:34:55 GMT -5
I, honestly, think I like working with rhodochrosite the best. I love to lay it out but I especially love to polish it up to 100k where it looks like it has a glass covering - very deep.
I like dino bone, too. It starts out looking so ugly and turns into a gem.
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