nancyid
has rocks in the head
No stone goes unturned.
Member since January 2009
Posts: 563
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Post by nancyid on Feb 17, 2009 13:11:41 GMT -5
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franzibear
starting to spend too much on rocks
Let's rock
Member since October 2008
Posts: 139
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Post by franzibear on Feb 17, 2009 18:12:10 GMT -5
Well, it's pretty, anyways! I think that opal is just hydrous agate, so I think the red crust is probably just bubbly chalcedony, then a layer of silica or agate, and then opal. Looks like an interesting mix. Did you surface find or dig for it?
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chadman
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2008
Posts: 106
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Post by chadman on Feb 17, 2009 18:13:24 GMT -5
The locality you found it in might be helpful. How hard is it? Can you scratch the red with a pocket knife blade? Someone in the area of the find might know exactly what it is.
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nancyid
has rocks in the head
No stone goes unturned.
Member since January 2009
Posts: 563
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Post by nancyid on Feb 17, 2009 21:05:12 GMT -5
Sorry, I know better than to not give some info. It came from the Squaw Creek area outside of Marsing, Idaho. I found it on the surface. Other things found there is opal, a lot of banded agate ( white & clear bands), I found cinnabar close to this piece. The white barely scratches with my pocket knife in some areas, not in others. The red does not scratch. The crust scratches easily.
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1rockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 286
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Post by 1rockhound on Feb 18, 2009 1:49:39 GMT -5
Nancy What you have is a large thunder egg filled with common opal. The red is actually rhyolite. I have spent quite a bit of time at squaw creek digging for opal and that is very characteristic of the thunder eggs in the area and most tend to be filled with opal. Actually it probably was originally a clear or blue opal that has faded with exposure to UV light from the sun. Also if you go down the road about a half mile there is a road cut and on the right hand side there are lots of thundereggs filled with the blue opal as well. Here is a photo of a thunderegg from that area it looks darker only due to the oil from my saw. Jason
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nancyid
has rocks in the head
No stone goes unturned.
Member since January 2009
Posts: 563
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Post by nancyid on Feb 18, 2009 10:57:25 GMT -5
Hi Jason. Wow, thanks!!!! We had heard about that road cut but had no idea where to find it. If leaving from the park area , would it be a 1/2 mile going toward the river, away from 95 or toward 95? hmm, anyother way left or right ,lol. I'm also hearing that maybe I will get to meet you and some of the other guys this weekend at Graveyard? That would be nice
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 18, 2009 12:17:17 GMT -5
Cut it! Cut it! Cut it!
Maybe it will still be clear or blue insdie...
:-)
Chuck
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nancyid
has rocks in the head
No stone goes unturned.
Member since January 2009
Posts: 563
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Post by nancyid on Feb 18, 2009 21:21:02 GMT -5
Jason, I found the spot today. Didn't get anything to write home about , maybe one, and I am way too tired
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