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Post by lpl on Jan 30, 2019 11:08:09 GMT -5
NRG and Bluesky78987 I will PM you his contact info. I don't know how much of the material he has but I'm sure he would make some available for you if he does. He told me yesterday that winter has pretty much set in in Wyoming, and it lasts about 9 months! He gave me some cabs and a few slabs of the material at Christmas, but I haven't had a chance to work it yet, so I don't know a lot really. But it is some type of concretion that he has discovered in some BLM land in western Wyoming. The nodules range in size from golf ball to about softball or a touch bigger. The material has fractures that are completely healed and I think it is healed with chalcedony. The healed fractures are transparent, which really adds an interesting effect to the stone. He is thinking the dendrites are either iron or manganese, The color of the stone ranges from almost a mustard yellow to very white and the dendrites are dark black, and their distribution can be fairly concentrated and small, or more spread out and larger. Mohs hardness ranges from about 4-5 to 7, I think the surrounding matrix is a bit softer than the healed fractures, so there is probably ample opportunity for undercutting when making cabs unfortunately. The outside of the nodules is definitely softer than the inside. Here's another picture he sent me yesterday and it is pretty true to the color of the material. That's about all I know which isn't a lot really...
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Post by lpl on Jan 30, 2019 10:45:35 GMT -5
Pretty stuff. Looks a lot like Turkish Dendritic Opal. I think it is definitely marketable. Thanks Robin. I need to look up Turkish Dendritic Opal!
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Post by lpl on Jan 30, 2019 10:44:58 GMT -5
I like it. Even if a matte finish, worth marketing. Thanks Beth. I agree. I'll see if I can get a gloss polish on my machine when I get a chance. But even matte is nice I think.
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Post by lpl on Jan 29, 2019 14:31:23 GMT -5
Pretty sweet material, looks like it takes a mat polish. Parts seem to polish better than others. He made the cabs, so I don't know what he used for the final polish. I have yet to give it a go, but once I do I'll know a bit more.
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Post by lpl on Jan 29, 2019 14:30:08 GMT -5
I think it is fantastic looking and I love your setting. Thanks Ali! I'll pass that along to him!
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Post by lpl on Jan 29, 2019 14:28:58 GMT -5
I like it- it reminds of a cross between septarian and nature's painbrush. A nice scenic stone. It certainly does. I noticed the resemblance to one of vegasjames cabs of common opal yesterday too...I know this isn't common opal, but the healed fractures sure looked similar to those as well.
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Post by lpl on Jan 29, 2019 11:18:17 GMT -5
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Post by lpl on Jan 29, 2019 10:34:34 GMT -5
I have been asked to do something similar, but this person wants a ring and I'll be casting the cab as well. I think I'm going to do something like this for her, simple bezel set resin cab with her mom's ashes in the center, then on either side a small cab with her and her mom's birthstone on either side. I think a bit of color would be nice on something like this ring or a pendant.
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 16:49:05 GMT -5
Maybe the TeePee Canyon agates have less of the holly leaf shape. I don't know. All are quite beautiful for sure!
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 16:29:08 GMT -5
That's very nice!
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 16:12:59 GMT -5
Nice work!! I especially like the bail on the rose bud agate.
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 12:44:21 GMT -5
I really wish Lake Superior wasn't so far away...Those are so nice!
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 12:42:58 GMT -5
Thanks. And come on out! Along with the Fairburns you'll get a ton of wood, all the prairie agates you can carry and bubblegum agates as well. I'd like to venture further north into South Dakota more this summer and hunt Railroad Buttes, Weta, Kadoka and those areas. I've still never found a really big full-faced Fairburn but hope to. I'd also like to hunt for Teepee Canyon agates- that's on my list. I might just do that! Sounds like there are a lot of goodies to be found there! If you ever come south a bit, I could take you to some of my spots as well. I've seen some TeePee Canyon agates...How similar are they to Fairburns? My eye says very similar and the area is close isn't it?
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 12:20:09 GMT -5
I so want to go with you sometime...finding a Fairburn, even a small one is high on my bucket list! Very nice finds there.
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Post by lpl on Jan 28, 2019 8:52:18 GMT -5
Absolutely stunning!
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Post by lpl on Jan 27, 2019 22:48:47 GMT -5
For me it works very well for the blue mountain but maybe is a bit busy with either the colors or patterns of the kaleidoscope. But in all reality, its light years better than the background I usually use 😉
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Post by lpl on Jan 27, 2019 22:45:12 GMT -5
Amazing diversity of colors there and I really like the blue-gray as well!
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Post by lpl on Jan 25, 2019 13:13:19 GMT -5
Yes, the tiger eye is awesome! I like the others as well!
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Post by lpl on Jan 24, 2019 15:59:06 GMT -5
ooh I'd really have a tough time cutting that! A cabber would make quick work of it...I'd wait I think...
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Post by lpl on Jan 24, 2019 15:02:55 GMT -5
I love pinolith.. It has such interesting patterns. The few cabs I have made haven't taken as good of a polish as I had hoped. I'll be curious to hear how these work for you. Beautiful slabs!
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