Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Dec 17, 2014 23:27:27 GMT -5
I had someone give me a chunk of rough. They said it was a "new find" in Mexico and they hadn't ever seen more of it. They think it is opal in jasper. Has anyone seen this before, and, does it have a name? Rough I knocked off a corner and did a real fast polish (scratches, I know) to see what it would look like. It polishes very well and will probably be a liquid shine on a real cab. It has some great poppies or eyes looking areas and the opal. There are also pockets of concretions?? Guessing, I think it is a MOHS 5-6. The polished areas on the cab feel sort of waxy. Any help with an ID is greatly appreciated
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 17, 2014 23:45:52 GMT -5
The white areas do look like common opal. On a fresh broken surface do they look waxy ?
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Dec 17, 2014 23:54:31 GMT -5
They do indeed
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2014 6:02:45 GMT -5
Well that person had to be natures treasures.looks like someone dribbled wax on a jasper..Nicole gave me a piece as well.pretty neat stuff Dave
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Dec 18, 2014 7:19:19 GMT -5
Robert actually, but he didn't know what it was. I can't find anything online about what it is or where it may come from. I slabbed some last night. I think i am going to want more.
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Post by deb193redux on Dec 18, 2014 9:44:41 GMT -5
looks like small t-eggs in matrix, so probably a silicified rhyolite not full jasper. t-eggs have been known to contain opal. there could be a mix of aget filled and opal filled t-eggs in that rock.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 18, 2014 10:49:08 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm with Daniel. Up where my sis in law lives by Naches, Washington there is a deposit I prospected called "Thunderegg Matrix". The rhyolite in the case is mostly brown to dark green but its full of little T-egs some of which contain agate and most all contain opal. More layered in the WA stuff than in yours but very similar stuff. This is a cab from a more brown example of the Naches stuff. In this example the T-eggs are kind of welded together but they are often separate too.....Mel
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Dec 18, 2014 15:54:23 GMT -5
Okay, you two convinced me. I am going to go with it. "Opal Thundereggs in Silicified Rhyolite"
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Post by Peruano on Dec 18, 2014 17:21:20 GMT -5
I pick up some beach rocks in Guaymas/San Carlos Area with that glossy agate/opal like inclusion in what I presume to be a rhyolite matrix. I've always called them agates., but as stated they are silicated pockets. They polish wonderfully, but there is a difference in hardness between the dark and light colored materials so undercutting in the shaping, and or tumbling process is common. Nice material that you have there. Tom Here is one from the San Carlos Beach area near Guaymas.
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Post by tandl on Dec 29, 2014 20:49:16 GMT -5
I think amygdaloidal basalt on this one too .
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Post by vegasjames on Dec 29, 2014 21:34:53 GMT -5
When I was up in Lund, Nevada one of the trips we made was to a field of an opal-agate mix. So it would make sense that it would occur with jasper as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2014 23:05:09 GMT -5
I am pretty sure this is agate in basalt (the agates are fortification) and there are similarities but do not look the same. Some of the spots look like quartz crystals also. I should do a close up because the tiny fortifications are pretty cool but hard to see with the naked eye. Jim
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