charles kuchar
spending too much on rocks
getting ready for the second coming
Member since November 2010
Posts: 300
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Post by charles kuchar on Jun 29, 2015 6:53:44 GMT -5
the internet search page just gives me bubble gum and no rocks involved. I got these at the end of may south of wall, south Dakota. there are rock areas on the public ground with pretty good prairie agates and other jaspers etc. the folks I was hunting with showed me these 'bubble gum' rocks that sometimes look like a piece of chewed bubble gum. I am interested in how they formed and what composition they are, etc. mostly they are reddish or pink but sometimes brown. anyone have a clue about what these rocks are? thanks, chas
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,455
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 29, 2015 8:32:01 GMT -5
Interesting question. "Bubble gum agates" are one of my favorite stones to tumble but I've also never read much about their supposed origin. Composition seems to be very similar to prairie agate, banded microcrystallie quartz. I suspect the bubblegums are sedimentary chert nodules like the prairies too. Probably formed much like the classic weird shaped chert/flint nodules you find in many midwestern limestone deposits. In those cases, voids left by erosion or the decomposition of marine organisms, are filled with silica that originates from the exoskeletons of diatoms or radiolarians or even from sponge spicules. The silica is laid down in layers that often contain inclusions of variously colored mineral salts ( primarily iron salts) and therefore show the often red to brown to pink banded patterns...Mel
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charles kuchar
spending too much on rocks
getting ready for the second coming
Member since November 2010
Posts: 300
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Post by charles kuchar on Jun 29, 2015 13:03:15 GMT -5
the prairie agates I got from the beds are beautifully banded when I cut them. some of them are plain but I know they will polish well. hopefully someone knows more about them. I am doing some of the bubblegums in my lot-o now to see how they polish. thanks for the info. chas
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,455
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 29, 2015 13:54:33 GMT -5
Here's some tumbled bubblegums for ya Chas. I prefer to save the really odd shaped ones au natural but the rounder ones make an incredible tumble that the kids love. You do have too run them a good long time on coarse grind to thoroughly round and clean them up, but they do take an incredible glassy polish. PS: Prairie agates are classified as banded chert nodules from marine sedimentary rocks...Mel
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ringlord
starting to shine!
Member since May 2015
Posts: 31
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Post by ringlord on Jun 29, 2015 18:47:01 GMT -5
They vaguely resemble some types of lakers; the kind with not much banding. That is to say -- they look very nice!
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charles kuchar
spending too much on rocks
getting ready for the second coming
Member since November 2010
Posts: 300
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Post by charles kuchar on Jun 29, 2015 19:40:01 GMT -5
those are great! hope my bubble gums look like that. chas
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jun 29, 2015 19:52:00 GMT -5
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,455
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 29, 2015 20:17:08 GMT -5
These are the rough bubble gums I set aside to not tumble cause they just look so cool....Mel
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Post by snowmom on Jul 1, 2015 5:12:48 GMT -5
These are the rough bubble gums I set aside to not tumble cause they just look so cool....Mel indeed they are cool! Do you see a similarity in color and form to some of IanT 's Scottish agates?
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