That’s a fine description Jim.
Ya know I keep coming back to those stones.
In my estimation you found many treasures

I’m out doing some lapidary work
crafting rock’n hearts



big red heart for Valentines

Jim,

I've picked up numerous clumps of "waxy" looking quartz and showed it to a friend here at work. Most of it was offwhite with maybe a little bit of rose or bluish tint to it. He said it was Chalcedony and I checked out a few images of chalcedony online and found a huge assortment of photos. I wonder if this is the same stuff you've run across

http://www.bernardine.com/gemstones/chalcedony.htm

Paul,

Do you remember me telling you a few months back, that I "Know" you (and Roger) have passed through some areas, where there is some very interesting stuff to be found?

Break your waxy looking quartz in half. Dip it in water and then hold it in direct sunlight. You will know in an instant if it is Opal or not.

Jim

Tell’ya Jim you definitely have me looking at quartz in whole new light!

That’s a really fine link of gems & such. That flash that is so beautiful in opal is called the schiller effect
and on that blue & white stone… well its just rare a combination. To my way of thinking.

O chalcedony is a mineral that is confusing. It is so tied in with natures’ process of making agates!

I was going to ask previously what the relationship was between quartz & gold?
Then I saw this discussion on this board that was excellent.

Photos Of Gold When Discovered?

http://%20www.desertusa.com/mb3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=447

keep on rock’n !

ed

Ed,

Just copy the URL of that page and paste it in to one of your posts here. (or edit the previous post and paste it in there) I would do it for you but I don't know which page you are talking about.

Jim

Jim, I do recall you telling me that - I hate hearing it cause as a "newb" out there I don't always know what I'm looking at/for and have probably passed up numerous interesting things (hehe).

I haven't broken my sample yet, but here's a photo of it - tell me what I should look for if I break it, dip it in water and hold it up to the light as you suggest.

By the way - any hints on how to resize photos for the forum? I'm usually pretty good at figuring it out, but can't get this right here.

cubfan64 posted:


This will resize photos for the forum.

Go to your account at photobucket.com
Find the blue box "Uploadload images & videos" and click on the small print "more options" below the blue box.
You should see "More Upload Options"
In the "Basic dimensions" box pick the 17" or 15" screen.
Click on the "Save" box.
Then upload the photo to photobucket.
The underlined above will take care of any problem with size.

BTW, nice looking stone.

TradClimber

Paul,

I can tell by your photo that your sample is not Opal.
That sample will look the same on the inside as it does on the outside.
One of these days, I will take Ed up to the area where I got the Opal, and we will get some nice specimens, and post photos of them. Once you see Quartz and Opal side by side. You will never mistake one for the other again.

Jim

Thanks Jim

Hi Paul! <cubfan>

That is an interesting sample. Where’d you find it?

From the photo it looks to be a fine sample of chalcedony that agatizing.
That grayish blue hue makes me say that and it seems like its starting
to band in agate form. Anyway, that's just a guess.
Heck.. Like I remarked
I wouldn’t know gold if I fell into the LDM!

Hello TradClimber--Your suggestion is right on!

I choose to do my resizing
before I upload to the Photobucket account.
I’m on a modem and it takes long enough just to upload a photo.
So I use Microsoft Photo Editor, mostly.
Everyone running Windows should have that application software.
It pretty easy to figure out how to resize a photo from there
using the Image menu bar
Also a person can crop a photo to reduce some of the background
That what I did with the big red heart as an example

Right now the size of the big red heart is
basically 6inches width by 4 inches height
It actually need to be resized a little smaller to fit the page.
I haven’t quite figured out the best size yet to fit this boards page

Jim I’m looking forward !!!!!!

I’ll buy ya the best grub steak dinner in town !

more later
Ed