elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Dec 18, 2012 23:04:12 GMT -5
Note - these images will self-destruct in 7 days. I only have them in my photobucket account for resizing purposes. In working on the final phase of the index, I dug out a batch of images I received from well-known local collector Jason Badgley to use in the index almost a year ago. He's scoured the areas around northern LA county and has come across some wonderful specimens. Some of these places he has shared. Others he holds close to his vest. Here's a sampling of his images. Near Malibu Lake Malibu Coast Marcasite Malibu Coast agates Malibu Canyon area (The first you can hold in two hands - I wish there was scale on this. It's the single best piece I've seen from this area.) Agoura Hills w/ Gilsonite Better known site - Acton with Amethyst (I know someone who used to work for CalTrans (the California Road keeper-uppers) who was able to pick nodules from the roadcut on the side of the 14 Freeway. He gave me a bucket of these which were filled with amethyst of varying degrees. I wonder if this came from near there... Other Acton There's more, but I just wanted to toss out there a sampling...(to prove this thing is actually being worked on...) Thanks to Jason - and thank you all for looking, Lowell
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 18, 2012 23:46:47 GMT -5
Hey Lowell, by turning south at the Hector turnoff, there's some awfully nice chalcedony to be found in the low hills. Soft pastel shades of grey and pink. I have a couple cabs of the material, but don't think I have any rough left.
Also in the Potato Patch area, I found some very nice light orange dendritic opal. Nice solid material. Only have one cab of that left. It's not plentiful, but can be found in the dry washes in that area.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,687
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 18, 2012 23:46:58 GMT -5
Awesome!
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Post by paulshiroma on Dec 19, 2012 0:07:39 GMT -5
Outstanding photos, Lowell. Thanks for posting them.
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Post by stoner on Dec 19, 2012 0:22:07 GMT -5
Wow, didn't know the beach side of So Calif had such nice material.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 19, 2012 0:36:57 GMT -5
Very nice Lowell! There's also an occurence of agate nodules very much like those Malibu specimens up one of the canyons just west of Moorpark on Hwy 118. There's a farm road that goes north of 118 by a barn and crosses the railroad tracks up into a small canyon overlooked by avocado plantings. I had to inspect tomato plants planted in the canyon bottom one year and the sandy soil was full of small nodules that had been deposited from somewhere up canyon. The plowing had left quite a few on the surface. Mostly walnut size to lemon sized and mostly plain but some had yellow bands and some had sagenite. Seem to also remember seeing some on the Hartmen ranch at the base of the Conejo Grade. These are probably from the same source as in the little county park in the canyon below the grade. I sure wish you could get a pic of the plume that is found up at Cuyama Valley. Slinker, the ceramic dragon guy that used to be based up there used to have an incredible picture of plume from there on his website which is long since gone. It was a very neat red plume unlike any I've ever seen. Used to be a good wood site up that way too in the hills west of the valley. Also poor quality petrified wood up at the cemetery at the end of the road behind where the old Adohr Dairy was in Camarillo. .Mel
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Post by christopherl1234 on Dec 19, 2012 2:37:55 GMT -5
I tried to find some of that Marcasite out there off of Kanan rd. a few years ago. I didn't find any but I found some nice plume agate.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 19, 2012 13:19:30 GMT -5
Hector Siding Chalcedony. Potato Patch dendritic opal. Calico Ghost Town Silver Onyx.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,173
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Post by jamesp on Dec 20, 2012 7:37:56 GMT -5
Why can't we have such beauty and variety in Georgia.Be thankful for such treasures.Thanks for sharing.
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Dec 20, 2012 23:23:50 GMT -5
There are free downloadable photo editing programs to resize, crop, enhance and add a lot of other effects to your pics. No need for the photbucket just to resize.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 20, 2012 23:29:02 GMT -5
I'm looking for a specimen rock that I collected in Solano Beach, Cal. when I was just a young kid. I'll have a better look tomorrow and post a pic.
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Dec 21, 2012 23:17:18 GMT -5
Don,
Thanks for the new images. I've been to Hector a couple times, but never pulled up any of what you have there. It's an easy site to get to and I'm thinking of hitting it before I go back to school. With all the rain, you never know what's going to be popping out of the ravine sides.
As for that dendritic opal, again, I've been to the potato patch but never have come across the dendritic material you're showing. I'm curious about the form it was found in: dug from the ground, seam in matrix, weather worn float?
I'd like to use the images in my index, but they are just blurry enough that when I convert to a PDF file, they will worsen. Is there any way you can reshoot with just a tad more clarity? It's great material. I would like to add it.
Lowell
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 21, 2012 23:29:02 GMT -5
Lowell, The opal was found as float in the dry washes around the Potato Patch.
Don't know if the Hector rest stop still exists. But I found the chalcedony in and around the low hills just north west of the rest stop. There used to be a road going to what I believe was a lead mine. Heading towards the mine it would be the low hills on the right.
I'll try for better pics tomorrow. I'll see if I can find better directions to that bright yellow Kramer material I posted a while back too.
Do you have Tic Canyon Howelite in your pics ?
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 21, 2012 23:31:31 GMT -5
Lowell, The opal was found as float in the dry washes around the Potato Patch. It didn't appear to be weathered. The orange color caught my eye, and I wandered around for a while picking up pieces. None of it was big. Just one cab size. Don't know if the Hector rest stop still exists. But I found the chalcedony in and around the low hills just north west of the rest stop. There used to be a road going to what I believe was a lead mine. Heading towards the mine it would be the low hills on the right. I'll try for better pics tomorrow. I'll see if I can find better directions to that bright yellow Kramer material I posted a while back too. Do you have Tic Canyon Howelite in your pics ?
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 21, 2012 23:58:12 GMT -5
OK, on the Kramer material, we turned north at Kramer junction and went about 2 miles before turning east on a dirt road. About half mile up the dirt road we parked and wandered around the desert for a while, picking up pieces of this material. It wasn't plentiful, but you couldn't miss that bright yellow color. I must stress that it's not at the old Kramer collecting site. There was an article about the material with directions in a late 80's or early 90's issue of R&G.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 22, 2012 0:33:49 GMT -5
Another material you might want to add is Dumortierite from the Black Jack Silver Mine. On Rt.66 just east of Amboy, go north on the Kel-Baker road for about 1 mile. On the west side of the road on a low hill stands the head frame of the old mine. Dumortierite is found throughout the tailings pile. The old mine is very unstable, so don't enter. With a little luck, small Dumortierite crystals can be found too.
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Dec 22, 2012 2:52:36 GMT -5
Excellent material. I've heard you mention the Durmor. for a while. I just haven't been able to get out there. This is the first time I've been able to see images of the material that you found out there.
It's great to get stuff that isn't readily known to the masses right now.
Much appreciated.
You are also forcing me to be patient. Silly me thought I was done adding images to the index. I think the date for 'publication' has been pushed back to NewYear'sEve. I still need Mel to review a copy to find my mistakes before I put it out. Once he's done, I can do the indexes. They are a pain to do but I believe they lend credibility and reference value to this series.
Thanks again,
Lowell
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 22, 2012 9:55:14 GMT -5
I'll see what I can do about better pics today. I probably just cropped them too much on the camera.
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