Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Apr 12, 2018 23:25:04 GMT -5
Hello everyone. So I made an excursion to the jade area of Big Sur, California. I found some pieces that are undeniably nephrite jade. But then, I find this piece that makes me scratch my head. Here's some info: Location: Willow Creek, Big Sur region. California. Hardness: Leaves steel on all areas. Luster: Some gray areas dull, though most of it waxy. Weight:???Heavy and dense. Translucency: Highly translucent in the green areas. The non-waxy dull areas...no. At first glance I was thinking jasper/chert. But it didn't fit the pattern of "typical" willow jasper/chert. A Big Sur jade expert highly doubts that it is nephrite. So what is this matrix with unknown inclusions?
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Apr 12, 2018 18:59:52 GMT -5
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 2, 2018 20:06:33 GMT -5
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 2, 2018 19:17:42 GMT -5
Chert and quartzite maybe?
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Dec 20, 2017 0:05:06 GMT -5
Absolutely beautiful samples! So if I understand everyone correctly, the darker the blue...the more chrysocolla? Sorry to sound so repetitive, but I have very little knowledge in this area.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Dec 16, 2017 22:37:09 GMT -5
Thank you everyone! Bluesky78987: I had a funny feeling there was a Chrysocolla connection. Knowing very little about the aforementioned, I have a sample of chrysocolla, and I said to myself..."hmmm. the chrysocolla and the Peruvian blue opal sue look alike." My friend in Germany (the one that sent me the samples) called the the opal "chrysopal"?
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Dec 15, 2017 23:51:13 GMT -5
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 25, 2017 12:48:36 GMT -5
Love the Lakers! Beautiful.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 25, 2017 12:47:38 GMT -5
That's some serious banding on that last one there.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 25, 2017 12:43:22 GMT -5
Whoa, nice polish!
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 25, 2017 12:41:24 GMT -5
OMG, candy for my eyes! Yum!
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 24, 2017 19:26:40 GMT -5
So posted this stone a few years ago. And now it sparks my curiosity as to what it is and how it got that banding pattern. I found it in the Montrose/Scurdie Ness area of Scotland U.K. (area famous for agates) Sooooo... 1)Is it jasper? 2)How did it get that cool banding pattern? 3)Or, is it layered sandstone that was under high pressure and heat for millions of years? I have very limited knowledge of jaspers/chert Thanks!
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 19, 2017 0:47:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. "rocks2dust".
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 18, 2017 16:42:16 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, for the information! Just a quick theoretical question: The water is em...most likely....(poor choice of words. sorry)from the time the rock was formed? Or is that a rarity? Or there is no actual way of telling, as in the aforementioned, water seeps in or out of microscopic pores, during the eons?
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 17, 2017 15:18:59 GMT -5
Hello everyone. Can someone please explain the term "enhydro" in layman's terms. Can I make an assumption it is water in stone? And a few questions:1)Specifically in quartz and chalcedony based rocks? 2)Is the H2O really that old? 3)If so, you figure the water molecules would break down over time, or leak out through microscopic holes and cracks? This is the first time I ever encountered this type of terminology...phenomenon..anomaly. Thanks! Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 17, 2017 15:07:38 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I just wanted to share a recent Big Sur jade purchase I made on eBay. The piece was unpolished and had some cracks and divots, so I had it prettied-up by someone. Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 16, 2017 20:47:28 GMT -5
Thanks a bunch! That clears up a lot of my questions. I did hear from sources from around here, that a lot of the MHPJ areas are on private land.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 16, 2017 16:09:31 GMT -5
Thank you Sabre52! Ah, so the Llagas Creek material is still classified under "Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper"...as a sub-category.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Nov 16, 2017 2:43:40 GMT -5
Hello everyone. Several years ago, I purchased this piece and had it polished. I can make an assumption that it was from the South Bay Area of Santa Clara County. California. Now I know these poppy jaspers are region specific, so i'm rather curious of its origin. Is it most likely from 1)Coyote Creek, 2)Guadalupe Reservoir, or 3)Morgan Hill? Sorry for the blurry pictures (oops). Thanks! Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Oct 25, 2017 11:55:42 GMT -5
NICE! If you get chance to go to the Monterey/San Luis Obispo area of Highway 1, there's this stunning blue-green chert at a beach called San Carpoforo and an adjoining beach called Ragged Point. But please do be careful of the poison oak and the tides. (if you decide to venture there)
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