LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Feb 14, 2012 1:17:02 GMT -5
My 86 year old uncle & aunt live in Morgan Hill, CA and have always been interested in the local famous poppy jasper. They've been buying jewelry locally and sending it to relatives. Any of you old timers know the story of that claim? Lots of rumors. Does anybody know the exact location, street, etc? I told my uncle I'd ask you guys to see if you have any info.
Plus he sent me a short note today that he has a new connection for rough and he'll be sending me some. Cool. I told him to keep it at a 3 1/2" size for my saw and he asked if he sent larger, if I knew someone to slab it for me. Told him send any size and we'll worry about that later!
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TByrd
fully equipped rock polisher
Have you performed your random act of kindness?
Member since December 2010
Posts: 1,350
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Post by TByrd on Feb 14, 2012 1:27:51 GMT -5
I don't know any of the details but, I love that jasper. I have 4 saws any where from 6" to 16", I could definitely do some slabbing for you.
Tammy
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Post by Woodyrock on Feb 14, 2012 2:09:47 GMT -5
Larry:
I was told, by a guy that also lives in Morgan Hill the original claim is now under a parking lot for one of the silicon valley companies. I did get some very nice rough from him.
Woody
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Post by stoner on Feb 14, 2012 2:47:12 GMT -5
Contrary to popular belief, MHPJ is still available straight out of the ground today. In it's hey-day, it was found all over the place on the west side of Hwy101, which included Llaggas Creek. I went down to a lady's home about 5 years ago and she had 200lb boulders in a big pile behind her house. Here are some pics. One time while I was looking thru this pile, the lady came back and told us to watch out, the back hoe was coming down the hill with a full shovel, which he dumped on this pile! Boxes full of poppy jasper. There are a lot of people who still sell MHPJ out of their homes, and it's almost always old stock material which was carefully taken out of the ground so it has less fractures. Since joining our local Gem and Mineral Society, I'v learned a lot about the poppy jaspers from this area. Most of the area has been developed, but there's still a lot of ranches and open land where the poppy jasper can be gotten.
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Post by deb193redux on Feb 14, 2012 10:01:31 GMT -5
It does vary across the area in how much iron (red/brown/purple jasper background) there is and the degree to which fractures are healed. Poppies usually form before fracturing (lots of fractured poppies), but there have been multiple waves of fracturing. Some of the nicest contrast poppies are in large older fractures that have filled with white quartz. Some poppies are darker colored on darker background and have softer edges. I cut some stones from material like that, which I got from Stoner, and was pleased: In my judgement, the darker varities are a little more altered and closer to MOHS 6 than MOHS 7. Other poppies might show one or two rings around the poppy, and the color contrasts and sharper edges can be nice too. I cut some slabs for material like that recently: This stuff is at least MOHS 6.5. That chunk, which was about 7lbs cost me over $100 in 2008, and I was getting a discount because it was part of a shopping spree. I have seen good stuff sell for $25 of $35 a lb. Rocksj2b2 on ebay has had nice small pieces selling for $6 to $11 a lb, but some really nice bits went for $23/lb or even one lot that went recently for $33/lb. www.ebay.com/csc/rocksj2b2/m.html?_nkw=morgan&_sacat=0&LH_Complete=1&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1313 - may need to be logged into ebay to see completed auctions. In 2005 I saw the darker type vary from $6 to $10 a lb. It is often less fractured, but the poppies do not pop as much. Often you find smaller pieces in rock shops that are really too fractured to cut, but I have a few set aside to try and stabilize with resins. Rainy day project.
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Feb 14, 2012 10:06:44 GMT -5
Wow, the picture of the slabs in the last one is some awesome stuff!
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Feb 14, 2012 10:27:13 GMT -5
Wow, that's what I needed to hear. Thanks guys and if anybody else has info, please let me know. My old aunt & uncle are still pretty active and have lived in Morgan Hill a long time. My computer tech cousin has lived and worked in the silicone valley a long time but he's into astronomy, terrestrial rocks! Maybe they just haven't inquired about the jasper and just casually mentioned that their crazy nephew in SoCal keeps mailing them polished rocks & cabs. I should hear more today.
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 14, 2012 11:28:38 GMT -5
Larry, as close as you are you should join the Yucaipa Gem club. They have a wonderful workshop with several big slab saws. Cutting fees are very low. When I lived there I would drop off rocks and have them cut when saws were not being used. It was cheaper and faster than cutting them at home.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Feb 14, 2012 12:04:18 GMT -5
Good idea John. And I bet they don't use Lube Cool!!!! Diane always wanted to take some wire wrapping classes too. Only about 1/2 hour away.
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 14, 2012 13:36:49 GMT -5
When I lived there the shop was open one evening and Sat morning and barely able to make expenses. Last I heard there was only one week night not open and only because they couldn't find anyone to supervise that night. The shop fee when we were members was only $5 and cutting with slab saws was by square inch and based on hardness. The $5 shop fee covered all supplies, cab units, trim saws, flat laps, sphere makers, etc. They had lots of classes too. They were always selling off used equipment at very reasonable prices and had a big barrel of free rocks. Every meeting had a mini silent auction during the break and they sold the very best of donated rocks/slabs, etc. I really miss it but not bad enough to move back.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 14, 2012 14:11:56 GMT -5
That stuff is beautiful Daniel!
Chuck
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Post by helens on Feb 15, 2012 0:17:27 GMT -5
OMG!!! The colors are stunning on that last pix!! Wow.
Compared to the pieces listed on Ebay from your link, your pieces totally blow them away!!
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Post by Woodyrock on Feb 15, 2012 2:04:23 GMT -5
Well, I see the guy I bought the stuff from was full of it. He did sell the MHPJ to me for a good price, and and good quality as well.
It was not however anywhere near as nice as what Daniel posted.
Woody
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Post by roy on Feb 15, 2012 10:23:21 GMT -5
i would like to find some with those bright colors some day will have to ad that to my bucket list
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Post by bobby1 on Feb 16, 2012 1:15:00 GMT -5
A few years ago a guy was quarring the material from a small hole in the ground. The problem was that it was on the edge of the county park. The guy had moved the markers around to make it look like he wasn't digging in the park. The rangers said don't dig!!! He didn't listen and when the rangers got wind of his antics they went looking for him. He took off to Idaho. They went after him with a $200,000 warrant. They really want him badly. He was brought back to California, but I never heard what the punishment ended up being. He really screwed the local rock shops that bought material from him. He insisted that he got the stuff legally, which he obviously didn't do. The local county sherrif went to the local rock shops and confiscated all that had been sold to them. A real great guy!! A year or two ago I read where some people knew a rancher there who had a digging area for some really high quality material. He let them dig some, but not a lot. No more from that source that I have heard about, though. About three years ago some guys has a lot of the material for sale at our local Pow Wow (Snyder's Pow Wow in Valley springs, CA) but I looked through it somewhat and didn't buy a thing! The sellers said they found it as float. The material was barely recognizable as Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper and I didn't see them sell any when I was there. They haven't been back since. Bob
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Feb 17, 2012 13:47:40 GMT -5
Deb, That chunk you show is some of the best I've ever seen.
I read that the property that was the source for it was sold about 4 or 5 years ago & was going to be turned into an olive orchard. The new owners didn't have any interest in rocks. I'm not sure if that was the source of the best stuff or not. I even drove there on a visit to the Bay Area to see if I could scout around the same hill. It's near El Torro, the tallest hill in Morgan Hill. I looked in a section of LLagas creek, but found nothing.
Last summer, I visited Gino (Sr.), of the El Torro Brewing Company, at his house & bought a few pounds of little pieces for $10 a lb. It has good color & poppies, but lots of fractures too. It'll need lots of superglue. He still has some for sale.
El Torro has a 45 ft long bar inlaid with slabs of the stuff!
Lynn
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Post by deb193redux on Feb 17, 2012 18:54:25 GMT -5
OMG!!! The colors are stunning on that last pix!! Wow. Compared to the pieces listed on Ebay from your link, your pieces totally blow them away!! Yes, but the ebay pics show the oxidized skin, while mine shows a fresh cut. I won't say I did not spend an hour choosing what I thought was the best piece from a 4x4x4 bin he had, but those ebay auctions were the same seller and I think the same bulk purchase. Maybe folks like me and others got some of the best, but I think if some of those smaller pieces were cut they would show pretty well too. The appear solid, which is a good start. I also remember Bruce standing outside with natural light. I don't know what his son-in-law Steve uses for a photo setup, but I do have better lights and I get photoshop to balance the color.
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neal
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2019
Posts: 1
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Post by neal on Sept 2, 2019 0:32:18 GMT -5
Contrary to popular belief, MHPJ is still available straight out of the ground today. In it's hey-day, it was found all over the place on the west side of Hwy101, which included Llaggas Creek. I went down to a lady's home about 5 years ago and she had 200lb boulders in a big pile behind her house. Here are some pics. One time while I was looking thru this pile, the lady came back and told us to watch out, the back hoe was coming down the hill with a full shovel, which he dumped on this pile! Boxes full of poppy jasper. There are a lot of people who still sell MHPJ out of their homes, and it's almost always old stock material which was carefully taken out of the ground so it has less fractures. Since joining our local Gem and Mineral Society, I'v learned a lot about the poppy jaspers from this area. Most of the area has been developed, but there's still a lot of ranches and open land where the poppy jasper can be gotten.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,651
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Post by Tommy on Sept 2, 2019 10:11:08 GMT -5
Hi neal welcome to the forum. I see that you posted the following in the "temporary" chat box so I thought I would re-post it here for you. The post you are responding in is from 2012 and I know that Ed ( stoner) has since moved from the Morgan Hill area up to the coast of Oregon. Hopefully he'll stop in and say hi and maybe even remember where he saw those red boulders
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