metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 16:57:03 GMT -5
La Palma, the western-most of the Canary Islands, politically belonging to Spain, located off the west coast of Africa We were just there for our Christmas break. Composed of a mountain chain of volcanos from 3 ma to just 45 years old, it bestows the title of the world's steepest island upon itself. Generally it is a stack of basalts, some pipes, dykes, olivine basalts, lhertzolites, dunites, pahoehoe, aa, lapilli and scoria. The tourists even have to put up with black sand beaches. In some parts it is green and colonised by laurisilva forest; at the top of the mountain, only Canary Island Pine trees survive; other parts remain bare basalt flows or lapilli deserts. So this landscape of black,brown and more black, this rock stuck out like a sore thumb. White with olive green; it appears to be quartz, but not olivine - the two are just about mutually exclusive (and let me know if you do find them together ever!) La Palma - what?! Cobble I found on the beach, brought back, sliced and shown 'polished' with a 600#, maybe not all the way, but enough to show what's what. Any ideas? Other pictures of La-Palma for interest: Surfing on a bed of black basalt lava flow from the mid 1800's, Pahoehoe and Aa lava abound in front of the new Centro de Visitantes, Todoque Lava Tube - wasn't even open yet. Twisted Canary Pine growing on rocks near Pico de la Cruz around 2400m ASL, surrounded by Dunite browns of oxidised olivines. The endemic (found only there) La Palma Lizard, Gallotia galloti la palma - mature male blue-throat - at Mirador de la Cumbre View into the Caldera de Taburiente Moorish Gecko That's all for now ... enjoy! [/a]
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 13:25:38 GMT -5
Then there's my wife ... not in a nagging way ... who insists that I should "do something with all my rocks". Like turn them into jewelry or crafts. Not my thing though. So what do you do with them all? My family accuse that my rocks are 'all over the house'. Of course I deny this. They are mostly in the utility room. 'Cept I called it "the cutting room" by mistake the other day. Of course, that was picked up on!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 13:12:40 GMT -5
A mate of mine asks if I've 'made any sand' recently ...
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 3:55:02 GMT -5
I like the subtleties of the Willow Creek, but that Rocky Butte Jasper is cool too!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 3:51:24 GMT -5
Nice rounds!
I'm a sucker for turqoise but nice 'prase too; opal ... every time. Great work, keep 'em coming!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 3:48:38 GMT -5
Just a few cabs!!
Amazing finishes!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 2, 2017 3:45:08 GMT -5
I have only praise for the chrysoprase!
Great work - I like the minimal look.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 1, 2017 14:29:13 GMT -5
My first hand cuts of 2017 (facetted amethyst in process was interrupted by social activities!) Look carefully at the last image to see the natural preserved bark texture.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 1, 2017 14:22:24 GMT -5
My last cuts of 2016
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 1, 2017 13:35:26 GMT -5
Happy New Year!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 1, 2017 5:19:41 GMT -5
Welcome along. I hail from Yorkshire, England.
The rocks here are pretty uninteresting, except the 360 m.y. old limestone full of fossils. Luckily the Wolds and coast an hour or so away has a nice shiny version of lignite coal and carnelian washes with the longshore drift.
Time to get it out of the box!!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 1, 2017 5:00:09 GMT -5
Those first local rocks are amazing! Love 'em!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 31, 2016 19:53:15 GMT -5
I would have liked to think it was all straight forwards, maybe White Bay. I'm still not entirely convinced as Hvit is white in Norwegian and probably other Scandinavian languages / Danish too. Whether Hvit was named for his white hair / beard or the bay he inhabited, who knows. A link for those interested ... yes there's some history! It's now 2017 here. Hope you all have a good one! Whitby - place name
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 31, 2016 13:05:12 GMT -5
Nnniiiiiicccceeeee!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 31, 2016 13:02:19 GMT -5
Hmm, fingerprints seem to be a bit of problem with the chevron-amethyst. At least one of the videos I recorded seems to have come through relatively unscathed ... at least I finally noted the prints and polished them from the stone!
For your delectation
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 31, 2016 12:49:34 GMT -5
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 31, 2016 12:18:20 GMT -5
When I found this sodalite with the accessory mineral running through the middle, it screamed out to be made into a heart and I just had to buy it. Happy new year folks!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 30, 2016 14:05:26 GMT -5
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 28, 2016 17:16:56 GMT -5
Not at all. Have you tried emailing the American Faceting Yahoo Group?
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Dec 27, 2016 6:14:08 GMT -5
Pictures are great but don't tell you much about the occurrence, habit, hardness, SG, refractivity. Program yourself to read just one rock type before bed each night and it will soak in while you sleep. Try to recall the essentials in the morning. When you can, move on one. If not, re-read. Try to get off page 1 by the end of the week !
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