Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Mar 13, 2004 13:59:16 GMT -5
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Mar 13, 2004 15:14:01 GMT -5
Thanks Skip! It's valuable info.
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Mar 13, 2004 15:26:19 GMT -5
James - good link on my other posting. Gerdus' site has this comment...wondering if anyone has tried it.
Amethyst may be transformed to citrine at 250C (482F) or higher. Vigorous rubbing of one quartz crystal by another may also produce visible light (triboluminescence).
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Mar 13, 2004 15:33:30 GMT -5
I was just reading about the Amethyst Too. It seems like all of these new topics are coming together brilliantly. You learn something new all the time. I noticed that Gerdus' site is much more imformative.
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Mar 13, 2004 17:19:57 GMT -5
cool stuff, neat sites. I said it before and will say it again, ya got to love rocks..huh? Here is a funny story, skipper wrote: 'Vigorous rubbing of one quartz crystal by another may also produce visible light (triboluminescence).' Years ago when my oldest daughter was about 7 years old, I ordered these special 'flash rocks' from a science catalogue. I payed 7 bucks for a couple of them. Really cool, when you rub them together firmly in a dark place they flash internally. I was amazed by them and proudly showed my daughter what is called the 'piezo electric effect' she looked at me and said: Dad, I have a whole coffee can full of those. I broke it to her gently that she had just ordinary river gravel and explained that these were special 'flash rocks'. Heck, I payed 7 bucks for them...right? She said, Dad, try mine. I did, and you guessed it, they worked better than the 7 dollar ones . My wife thought it was hysterical. It turns out that just about any quartz will work. You have to try it if you never have before, it's cool. We call them lucky rocks around here, they are common. Rounded white quartz stones. Just take a couple of them and rub them firmly and slowly together in a dark place. They put off an internal orange flash. Like I said, it is called the piezo electric effect. The friction separates neg. and pos. charges in the stone and when they snap back together it causes the 'flash'. Have fun. Ttyl, Don
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Post by docone31 on Mar 13, 2004 20:30:39 GMT -5
I have about 20 Andamooka opals. These are low grade opal, english chalk is another example. These opals are boiled in sugar untill only a carbon mass is present. The opals are soaked in sulfuric acid untill the carbon converts. Way back when, Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, and Matawbe were the going concern. Andamooka came up with this process. They are georgeous when polished, and more stable than the finer opals. The finish however can be ground off and the process must be repeated. Another example of better living through chemistry.
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Mar 14, 2004 0:36:12 GMT -5
Tell me more folks , I cant get any of mine to do that ? Dwight P
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Mar 14, 2004 0:45:24 GMT -5
Carnelian turns red due to its iron contend. Perhaps the rock you're trying isn't infact carnelian.
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jul 9, 2004 22:40:43 GMT -5
OK - this week started my howlite dyeing project. Despite it's 3.5 softness, I've been checking the stones and they still need at least a week of coarse grind.
Stay tuned...
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Jul 9, 2004 23:20:22 GMT -5
What's cooking?
I'll have to do some digging in my rock shop ... I have the process to convert golden Tiger Eye to the red variety in your stove at home.
If you ever buy red Tiger Eye ... chances are that it has been heat treated ... and if they tell you that it comes out of the mine that way ... it was treated within the mine! So that it comes out of the mine as the red variety ... that way ... they are not lying to you!
Did you know that you can also heat Brazilian Agates to help soften them before slabbing. I do this on all of my larger rough 6" - 8". I have done this for years ... it helps reduce the wear and tear on my blades!
I'll see if I can locate the process and I'll get it posted for you.
Enjoy,
John
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jul 10, 2004 0:27:38 GMT -5
All very interesting topics dyeing rocks, changing the color by heat treating, softening the rocks, etc! This rock hounding stuff gets more and more interesting.
John, just curious, do you know why heating up the rocks makes them easier to cut? Shorty mentioned something about heating up the rocks to make them easier to bust up. Does the heat expand the atoms and molecules (or whatever), thus making the rock more fragile? Inquiring minds (or addled minds in my case) want to know.
Don, I know what you mean. My son is now the same age, I just love it that he is smarter than me! I figured that wouldn't happened until he was 13!
Cal
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jul 10, 2004 0:54:37 GMT -5
I've got quartz out the ying yang, so I will definetly rub some together and tell you what happens. I had no idea... cookie
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Jul 10, 2004 3:19:38 GMT -5
My son Henry came home today and I was reading this page when we decided to try the rubbadubtrick......and... IT WORKS. Great show of light. The best pieces were small slabs of quartz.
Real neat. Thanks for the info hahahahaha LOL
Jack
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Post by Harry on Jul 10, 2004 7:01:53 GMT -5
What's cooking? Did you know that you can also heat Brazilian Agates to help soften them before slabbing. I do this on all of my larger rough 6" - 8". I have done this for years ... it helps reduce the wear and tear on my blades! I'll see if I can locate the process and I'll get it posted for you. Enjoy, John I am very interested in this topic. I would love to know how to soften these stones, so it will tumble faster and easier. Thanks, Harry
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