herb
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 444
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Post by herb on Feb 12, 2024 15:59:06 GMT -5
FYI Short notice but Auction Masters is having another Beaver Bay auction February 15 starting 7pm cantral time. You have to register beforehand. If I remember correctly their new registration system makes you give a credit card number to register. 18% buyers premium plus shipping. A quick look at the 970 lots shows laker Superior agates, thomsonite, faceted stones, cabs, rough, carvings and some slabs among other stuff
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,510
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Post by rockbrain on Feb 13, 2024 10:33:21 GMT -5
A lot of nice stuff in there. Some in focus pictures would have been nice.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 13, 2024 13:32:36 GMT -5
It's a couple hours north of us. Some of the finest lakers in that shop.
They are not known for their photography
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ThomasT
spending too much on rocks
Trying to keep the dust down.
Member since June 2022
Posts: 258
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Post by ThomasT on Feb 14, 2024 3:23:35 GMT -5
Looks like an interesting auction if you are able to pick up the goods.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 8:54:08 GMT -5
$248 later.
Anyone else pick up anything from this auction?
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,510
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Post by rockbrain on Feb 16, 2024 10:12:00 GMT -5
$248 later. Anyone else pick up anything from this auction? What did you get?
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 14:32:56 GMT -5
Queensland Opal, some Greenstone, shungite, mohawkite and some loose gems
The opal was a last minute I really shouldn't spend that much but I'm going to anyways and then oh crap I'm winning it
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 15:17:14 GMT -5
I forgot, was that greenstone they had rough or polished? I was thinking of putting a rough greenstone in the traveling box but it is always a crapshot if it will be good or crumble away. I didn't see the Mohawkite when I looked through the pics. Reminded me of my college days at Michigan Tech in Houghton. Attached is a pick of a piece of Mohawkite that I found when in college. My roomate and I originally thought it was pure silver but someone at the college idenified it as Mohawkite (mixtures of arsenic, silver, nickel, skutterudite and copper). You can't tell from the pic but it is about 2 inches long behind the cut face.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 17:23:01 GMT -5
The greenstone was all polished. I'm happy to say I finally have a couple pieces. One day, we will find our own.
The mohawkite was a 5lb flat of rough. I cannot believe I got it so cheap. Maybe people didn't know what it was. I'll post pictures once we get it.
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 18:08:06 GMT -5
The greenstone was all polished. I'm happy to say I finally have a couple pieces. One day, we will find our own. The mohawkite was a 5lb flat of rough. I cannot believe I got it so cheap. Maybe people didn't know what it was. I'll post pictures once we get it. Good score. I looked up some Mohawkite prices and couldn't believe how expensive it is. I guess it is like all other rock stuff. I wish I could remember the exact place we used to find good greenstone. It was somewhere on Highway 41 in the Cliff Mine, Phoenix, Central area. It was on the north side of the road on what looked like they had made a cut through a small mine spoils pile (no fine sandy material in the pile) when they made the road. It was so small we always figured it was some sort of exploratory shaft that was never developed for copper. It is probably all overgrown with trees now (that was 45 years ago). That general area might be good location to look for it. I think I remember Rob of Michigan Rocks looking for some at the Cliff Mine spoil piles. I am surprised they didn't have any Datolite in the auction but maybe I missed it. They sure had a lot of stuff.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 18:37:36 GMT -5
This auction had been going on in phases. At one point I believe they did have datolite. That is also something I've yet to aquire and I missed out on it
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 19:54:08 GMT -5
forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/user/8901, you are bringing up old memories for me. Thanks. Here is another old guy story about the copper country. When I was in college they constructed the "new" Highway 26 that goes southwest from the west end of Houghton. It required a tremendous amount of fill to keep the grade reasonable. I think they got the material from one of the Baltic Mine spoil piles but not sure anymore. Anyway, my roomate (who was really into rocks) and I would go out to the site at night and weekends when they weren't working to look for whatever we could find. We didn't find a lot of good copper, but we found a lot of datolite. Unfortunately, none of it is very high quality (translucent or with copper). Attached is a pic of a very large datalite that I found in this area. My roomate never forgave me for finding one that big when he couldn't find much of anything. I never have cut it because it looks like it would be just dull white. Maybe I should go ahead and cut it anyway just to see. I looked on google and it looks like the banks of the road are still rock where the highway connects to Houghton Canal Road. Might be worth a look if you are in the area but I would think it would be picked over since it is right in town but you never know. Areas of new road construction would probably be good places to look for stuff. There was a place near Calumet or maybe further north that had the really nice datolite (translucent, colors and copper). Even back then, it was heavily picked over and people would dig pites in the spoil piles 5 or 6 feet deep looking for the datolite. Dang, I should have spent more time looking for rocks rather than studying.
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 19:55:43 GMT -5
@msali, copying your name didn't work.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 20:02:23 GMT -5
You'd have to tag alikat218
That is a HUGE piece. Were you ever tempted to cut it open?
I have a few places that I traveled in the Navy that I really wish I would of taken the time to look for rocks instead of drinking and spending time with my ex
Regrets...we all have them 😅 (kidding, I really don't have any regrets)
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 20:15:00 GMT -5
You'd have to tag alikat218 That is a HUGE piece. Were you ever tempted to cut it open? I have a few places that I traveled in the Navy that I really wish I would of taken the time to look for rocks instead of drinking and spending time with my ex Regrets...we all have them 😅 (kidding, I really don't have any regrets) Well, I didn't have a saw until the last couple years so hadn't thought about cutting it too much. I hear you about traveling. Did that for most of my working life and just didn't have the time (well didn't take the time) to look for anything. What was I thinking?
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 20:33:19 GMT -5
So now you've got one are you gonna cut it open?
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 21:16:41 GMT -5
So now you've got one are you gonna cut it open? I will have to think about it.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 16, 2024 21:52:25 GMT -5
My understanding with that material is the outside is that chalky white but the good stuff is inside
On the other hand it's a big piece and makes a great display and story as it is
Part of me would worry that cutting it would ruin that
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 16, 2024 22:11:57 GMT -5
My understanding with that material is the outside is that chalky white but the good stuff is inside On the other hand it's a big piece and makes a great display and story as it is Part of me would worry that cutting it would ruin that Yep, my thoughts exactly. I will try to remember to take some pics on ones my roomate cut when I was in college.
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,227
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 17, 2024 16:43:30 GMT -5
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