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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 3, 2014 7:57:56 GMT -5
I slabbed this rock up last night and I was going to post the slab pics in the rock I.D. section but I figured I would make a real quick sample cab from it in hopes that it would help with getting an I.D. I have no experience with jade but its the only thing I could come up with so if I am way off please let me know. This was an estate sale find and I would say it was about 6-7 pounds. I slabbed about half of it but would like to know what it is and if it has any value before I cut the rest. Here's the rough here's a slab photo. And a couple photos of the cab. There are 3 very small areas that look like pyrite in this cab. A close up showing the pryrite like inclusions Thanks Chuck
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 3, 2014 8:37:21 GMT -5
First off, beautiful cab! Exterior of your specimen is unlike any jade I've ever hunted so my guess would be something other than jade. That being said, the amphibole group is chock full of black jade look alikes ad there are a lot of other black rocks that, when polished, resemble jade too.....Mel
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 3, 2014 9:27:56 GMT -5
First off, beautiful cab! Exterior of your specimen is unlike any jade I've ever hunted so my guess would be something other than jade. That being said, the amphibole group is chock full of black jade look alikes ad there are a lot of other black rocks that, when polished, resemble jade too.....Mel Thanks Mel. I had never heard of amphibole before so I did some google homework. I am still a little unsure how to label it and what a 4x5x1/4 slab should be priced at. I really did not find anything to cross reference the value online. It's a nice hard material and it worked up nice. My quick sample cab was only taken to the 3000 wheel on the genie so it may get better at 14000. thanks again! Chuck
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2014 9:30:49 GMT -5
It does look somewhat like Teton jade but like Mel said, there is a huge array of wanabies. An SG test will narrow it down some but that could still leave questions. I also have some that looks similar that was sent to me by Simon in Canada. He called it "jade like" because there was no positive ID and he just picked it up off the ground. After making super tough rings out of it I am sure it is some kind of nephrite because the rings from any other stone fracture into many pieces very easily. Jim
BTW, The Teton jade that I have I bought in Quartzsite and it was only two or three bucks for a slab the size of your stone.
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Good Earth
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Post by Good Earth on Jun 3, 2014 9:33:44 GMT -5
I have very little experience with jade, but what I have learned (at least with our Washington Jades) is that if it's a bitch to polish, it's likely Jade. I watch master lapidaries struggle with our local jade, even with years of experience working with it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2014 9:42:58 GMT -5
I have very little experience with jade, but what I have learned (at least with our Washington Jades) is that if it's a bitch to polish, it's likely Jade. I watch master lapidaries struggle with our local jade, even with years of experience working with it. hahaha I have a terrible time with Washington jade polishing too. Same with BC jade but Wyoming jade run up to 3000 is almost mirror shine. The Teton jade and the "stuff" from Canada will take a great shine also. But you are correct, most of it take a lot of practice and trial and error. Jim Edited to say that the Wyoming shine is mirror finish, just not as mirror as agate or anything that Krystee polishes.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 3, 2014 9:53:59 GMT -5
Edited to say that the Wyoming shine is mirror finish, just not as mirror as agate or anything that Krystee polishes. I had to laugh at that. I am pretty sure Krystee can get sandstone to a mirror polish. I think that even if I had all the same equipment she has that she would still get twice the shine on any given rock. Chuck
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cccbock
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Post by cccbock on Jun 3, 2014 10:09:05 GMT -5
I like to piolish rocks....but I really dont know much about them.....what I do know is that is one fine looking cab....................
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Post by rockjunquie on Jun 3, 2014 13:34:37 GMT -5
Ditto on Krystee's shines!!!! I live to somehow, someday achieve her kind of excellence. That said, this is a very nice cab, too with an awesome shine- which makes me think maybe it's not jade. It is awfully pretty stuff, though. I really like black stones, a lot. And, as a wirewrapper, I love them because you can really show off some wire work with them. You'll do something awesome with this, I'm sure.
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Post by pghram on Jun 3, 2014 13:56:18 GMT -5
Beautiful cab, that black is very deep & rich.
Rich
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1nickthegreek
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Jun 3, 2014 15:55:41 GMT -5
It does look somewhat like Teton jade but like Mel said, there is a huge array of wanabies. An SG test will narrow it down some but that could still leave questions. I also have some that looks similar that was sent to me by Simon in Canada. He called it "jade like" because there was no positive ID and he just picked it up off the ground. After making super tough rings out of it I am sure it is some kind of nephrite because the rings from any other stone fracture into many pieces very easily. Jim BTW, The Teton jade that I have I bought in Quartzsite and it was only two or three bucks for a slab the size of your stone. Teton Jade is Serpentine in reality, but a variant that is only from the Bitch Creek Basin in ID/WY. Works up beautifully though LOL
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2014 17:19:50 GMT -5
Drummond Island Rocks OK Chuck - first... nice piece! To test for amphibole group stuff: #1 scratch test - what scratches it? copper? steel? Obsidian? Agate? Quartz? #2 as wampidy said specific gravity is important #3 streak - rub on the back of a porcelain tile or dinner plate and report color of the line it leaves - if any. Porcelain tile is Mohs 7 so no streak tells us something too! #4 is subjective - how hard was it to work? Would you say similar to agates or perhaps "harder to cut than anything I've ever cut before". Just report your thoughts.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 3, 2014 17:51:13 GMT -5
Drummond Island Rocks OK Chuck - first... nice piece! To test for amphibole group stuff: #1 scratch test - what scratches it? copper? steel? Obsidian? Agate? Quartz? #2 as wampidy said specific gravity is important #3 streak - rub on the back of a porcelain tile or dinner plate and report color of the line it leaves - if any. Porcelain tile is Mohs 7 so no streak tells us something too! #4 is subjective - how hard was it to work? Would you say similar to agates or perhaps "harder to cut than anything I've ever cut before". Just report your thoughts. Scott - #1 copper penny leaves a copper colored line but no scratch, a common steel nail leaves a line that looks like pencil lead but no scratch. sharp corner of a brazilian agate slab seems to scratch it. #2 Specific gravity is not something I have tried to figure out before. #3 We have actual streak plates from my kids school rock and mineral kits and it leaves a dark green to black streak that wipes off easily #4 It was nearly as hard as an agate to cut and grind but did not polish nearly as easy as an agate. Not sure if any of this helps but that's what I was able to come up with. Thanks- Chuck
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Post by beefjello on Jun 3, 2014 20:02:48 GMT -5
Whatever it is took a mighty fine polish! Nice job Chuck!
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 3, 2014 22:39:22 GMT -5
Like wampidy, I have a tough time with the polish on some Washington jade. The snowflake is not too bad. Your black cab has a terrific shine! Also like Jim, I find the back jade from Wyoming easy to polish to a very good shine. All the Wyoming black I've had though was in slicks and very smooth on the exterior, very unlike the specimen shown.
I love jade but hate polishing most of it. Seems to work best on very worn sanding wheels as fresh diamond really chops out those softer areas in a lot of jade. I still have a couple of slabs of the Porterville snowflake I'm trying to build up nerve to take a crack at. It's kind of black with reddish snowflakes and I've heard it is a real booger to work. I'd kill for a shine like you've gotten on your black jade cab.....Mel
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Post by snowmom on Jun 4, 2014 4:30:50 GMT -5
whatever it is, its beautiful. Thanks for showing it in the rough, too. As a learner it is valuable to help me identify things I find around here. Is that locally collected? I am going to look up "amphibole" now, too. : )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2014 21:24:52 GMT -5
Thanks nick. That was good info on the Teton jade being not jade at all. Weighed a piece this morning and it is way too light. So, I hope the guy is back in Q next year so I can jump down his throat. Glad I only bought one slab and I guess I will have to start carrying my SG kit at all times. Jim
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2014 22:14:43 GMT -5
Thanks nick. That was good info on the Teton jade being not jade at all. Weighed a piece this morning and it is way too light. So, I hope the guy is back in Q next year so I can jump down his throat. Glad I only bought one slab and I guess I will have to start carrying my SG kit at all times. Jim Yes, Jim. Your trailer needs ONE MORE THING TO CARRY!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2014 6:51:51 GMT -5
hahaha Toss out some unnecessary things like food and cloths, lots of room. Actually I am talking about carrying the kit with me when I am walking around Q. All it is is a 500 gram scale, small board, clamp (to attach board to table), a wire bail on a popsicle stick and a cup of water. A piece of paper, pen and calculator would be nice to but I can do the math in the dirt if necessary. I probably should start holding the scale on the board with a rubber band or something because a couple of months ago I knocked the scale into the cup of water. Hey, it's not funny. Well, I guess it kind of is because I snatched it out and popped the batteries before any damage was done. I got lucky that time. lol Jim
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