elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 17, 2011 23:25:30 GMT -5
I love those things - they're fascinating - Great job and keep on hunting!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 17, 2011 20:27:59 GMT -5
I'm working on my next display case which is for another gem show next month. I'm trying to go international, but I keep on being drawn back to domestics. Forgive the dust. The pieces have sat a couple days and I didn't wipe them off. (Dust caused by my Duh...) Turtle Mountain blue agate Laker (future insert into my rock box donation to club) Slightly blurred Marfa Texas (I believe...) Woodward Ranch, Tx Utah Coprolite Contour polished Baker egg Last: Mexican fire agate with a little bit of fireworks But not least: One of my students is taking a junior lapidary course in Oxnard, Ca. She brought me an agate that she picked up in one of their drawers of misc stuff. It was poorly cut and looked like someone tried to face polish in on a Genie and ground a deep groove right through its center. She asked if I could polish it up and I was happy to. It's Mexican and I would be proud to own it, but I don't, but I'm glad she's found a keeper. Thanks for looking, Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 15, 2011 22:34:55 GMT -5
Now that's what I love.
Give me that great Pirahna agate any day of the week!!!!
Great purchase!
Lowell
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by elementary on Mar 13, 2011 20:40:09 GMT -5
Toad, In a way I found it. I believe it's from Mexico, though from which bed, I don't know for sure. It might be a Laguna agate. I picked it up at what I thought was going to be an estate sale last August with about a shoebox worth of other nodules showing the same color. Turned out the family was just giving away the material. Here's a couple more from the same haul. Thanks for asking, Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 13, 2011 17:30:46 GMT -5
Toad, Actually, yes, a double nodule, but the second half has a less percentage of agate and is more crumbly. This agate had a broken face which revealed the pattern. I just ground it down a bit than domed it. I thought about cutting, but I have no guarantee that the interior will give me anything better.
Carlos, As for being hairy...it's sitting on my cat climb...and I have three cats. With spring coming on, everything is hairy right now...
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 13, 2011 14:58:28 GMT -5
Sounds like a tropical drink but it's really: I need to redo some of its edges but I like how it looks, Thanks for taking a peek, Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 11, 2011 10:08:53 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing. I've heard about these things, but never had I taken a peak at any specimens very closely. They are interesting.
Shallow water, pointing in one direction? Hmmmm. Hypothesis.... Round concretion forms first. Water/current starts flowing a certain direction. Sand erodes from concretion but slowly forms a tail behind the original blob. That's why some blobs have no lump at top, it's all been eroded down the spike/tail, like the tail of a comet...
I'm wondering if the chemical composition in the concretion is slightly different than the surrounding sand it was found in.
Or, for people who don't believe humans built the pyramids or scratched out the Nazca lines, these concretions are the portapotty runoff from alien spacecraft...
Thanks for the mystery!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 11, 2011 9:59:33 GMT -5
What a great find!
You're listed in AZ so am guessing that is where you found it.
I gotta ask, when are you heading back? If I cut that thing, I'd be thinking, hmm, tomorrow!
Keep us updated on what else you find out there!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 8, 2011 22:41:20 GMT -5
Oh, that is a great batch!
Can't wait to see what you do with them,
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 7, 2011 22:39:49 GMT -5
Our show (Ventura) just rapped up and I had a great time. I already mentioned meeting Christopher1234 on another post. There were others! I met one person from Templeton, Ca who I am sending up a box of Hauser material and she said she might be sending down a box of local material from Templeton.....Templeton is supposed to have some rare, interesting material. Ask Mel about his story of seeing something a person brought into our show one year. I met another person from Oregon and I gave him a box of CA jasper. He's going to send down a box of Oregon stuff. I met another rockhound from Lone Pine who I traded some Bruneau and Dino Bone for the following: Druzy quartz on I believe chrysocolla (need to check again - I lost the slip) turquoise rhodochrosite I also hit up a dealer and purchased the following: and while there I came across a specimen I thought I'd never own - Bear Canyon Sunday morning brought some stuff in for the dealer to identify, including a slab of purple agate from here in CA that only myself and one other know the location of. He liked it so much he asked if I had more, and we traded - I gave him 110 + pounds of the material and I picked this out of his stock: A very pretty Laguna. Here's the slab: I don't know if it was a fair trade, but if he likes the stuff, he's willing to trade for more. We'll see, but it was neat having a dealer interested in this material. Hope to see you soon! Thanks for looking, Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 7, 2011 22:02:50 GMT -5
Just love those nodules!!!
Nice finds and fun patterns.
I like the gold rim on the last one!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 6, 2011 23:50:01 GMT -5
Steve, Couple things -
One of the things I do is that I get a piece of liner that matches the size of the case I am using and I design my case on the floor or kitchen table using that as reference. I then photograph the set up once I am happy with it and use the image while I reset up my case at the show. It takes the memory part out of the situation.
Don't put too much into the case. Keep the spacing even. Try to add height to the display, either by glass lifters (votive holders from Pier 1 for a buck a piece) or by choosing your liner and getting extra material to wrap a small box in, etc. What I did this last time is take a glass shelf from IKEA and lift it with the votive holders. It looks clean and reflective and I was able to stick a book or magazine underneath to add to the display.
For labels, I follow a basic format: See below for an example
Agate Horse Canyon Tehachapi California
or
Horse Canyon Agate Tehachapi California
If you are doing competition, try to keep the labels the same size. You can buy prepunched business cards and print your labels out on the cards. Punch out the cards and everything is the same size. Or you can just print labels out on white paper and cut them out... If your material is all the same type, or you have 3 - 4 sections with each section a different material, then you don't need to label each piece, just each section.
As for the liner on your case, don't choose a color that will compete with your agates. I've seen black bases and white bases. Both can be striking.
As for words - I was told that for competition, extra words detract from the score - but with that said, I'm a teacher and I like at times to have a case wrapped around a theme. So, what to write? What's your theme. If it's just a display of your collection, then not much more than the labels and your name. If you have a focus, such as local material, then a short paragraph centered on your main topic might help. I did a case based on material bought from local estate sales. I included a short paragraph that stated that if a person was serious about building a collection on a budget, these sales were necessary. I then mentioned the prices at these sales, and the display was a selection of material I had bought.
Most people are there to gawk. People move through the rows expecting to see rocks, not so many words. Anything written needs to be interesting to slow the browser yet not too long or complex (unless your focus demands it) that the person moves on before finishing. People ohhhh and awwww rocks and not writing so much.
I hope this helps a little. Basically, keep it clean keep it simple, don't push too much. Remember that this display is not your last - choose two items after the show to work on for next time.
You'll do great!!!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 6, 2011 21:45:46 GMT -5
Thank you all for your nice comments. The show ended today and it was a great success.
I met Christopher1234 who dropped by - Christopher is a great guy and we may be getting together to hunt pretty soon. He came with his family and though trying to get five minutes free wasn't easy, I enjoyed our brief talk.
I also spent some money and traded some material, but I'll post that later.
My feet hurt and I just want to sit down...
Thanks all again for your compliments!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 6, 2011 21:39:03 GMT -5
To all who replied,
My daughter loved going through all the responses - especially the story of the stone, so thank you very much. She laughed and pointed and giggled as we read them!
BTW - her name is Rebecca and she is just about 5 years old.
Again, I really appreciate the time you took to do this everyone!
May good things come to you,
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Mar 5, 2011 3:33:04 GMT -5
The Ventura Gem and Mineral Society's 49th annual show is this weekend. I've put in two cases. I designed one for American material and another for worldwide agates. When I got to the show, one of the cases assigned to me was about 1/3 shorter than I expected, so I dumped the American material and modified it to a Southern California overview focusing on the Cady's and a couple other spots. The pictures were taken before I put in my labels. Have at it: The modified California case: The Worldwide Display: (several members might recognize a piece here and there) Right side back - Mendip Stones, Mendip Hills, England Bottom Right side - St Egidien Geode, Germany Left side top - Mt. Hay Thunderegg, Australia Left Side middle - Queensland Agates, Queensland, Australia Left Side Bottom - Botswana Agates, Africa (I'm bummed, I missed shooting my three Condor Agates which are to the left) Mexican Agates Uruguay Amethyst Flower Mexican Fire Agate Baker Eggs Mississippi Agate South Dakota Hills Agate Thanks for looking, Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Feb 26, 2011 23:47:42 GMT -5
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Feb 26, 2011 23:40:11 GMT -5
Roller,
A few years ago I bought a Pixie, then last summer I lucked upon a 1/2 price Titan at Diamond Pacific (an interesting story behind it.) As the Titan was used (and abused - part of the story) many of the wheels had been replaced but the 1200 - which I'm hoping to replace this weekend.
I thought about selling the Pixie, but then I realized I could use it in my classroom for 6th grade, so right now I have it at school so I can grind during recess and lunch and after school when I need a quick stress release. The smaller nodules were done on the Pixie. The larger pieces were done at home on the Titan.
Now I bring a bucket of seconds to school - broken nodules, agate fragments, etc, and I let the students choose pieces that don't need too much work and polish them up and give them away. I figure I've given away 20 - 30 pieces since I took the Pixie to school in January.
Sorry for long response to short question,
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Feb 26, 2011 13:40:29 GMT -5
Had a four day weekend and got a chance to hide in my man-cave and grind rocks for a while. Enjoy your meal: Foreign material: Two Mexican and an Aussie Two guys from the Northern Reaches: Tiny Dryhead (from Mel) and Lucas Creek Carnelian (from Woodyrock) South Cady Material, Pisgah Road: Red Moss (hard to film - really dark) And a piece of flame, Pisgah Road And some Northern Cady (Basin Road) Nodules and Seam Enjoy! Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Feb 26, 2011 1:33:10 GMT -5
My club will having its 49th annual show March 5th and 6th. To anybody in Southern California next weekend, we're an hour north of Los Angeles at the Ventura Co Fairgrounds. I'll be working there both days, mostly in the kids booth, but also bouncing around for the duration. If you have a chance, come by! See: www.vgms.org/show.shtmfor a list of exhibits and the dealers who will be there! Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Feb 23, 2011 19:23:57 GMT -5
Tony,
Gotta question also:
I've seen you take home tons of material. As I posted elsewhere, you're the only I've seen go rock buying with a trailor. You must have tons of material.
How do you have it organized? You have it in general piles, do you syphon off the higher grade material to a garage, do you label/mark/indicated what you have? Just curious, as my stuff is obsessively labeled, but then again, my pile could be added to yours and noone would notice...
Nice haul,
Lowell
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