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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 17, 2014 14:52:03 GMT -5
Decided to post this after seeing the thread of the rock growing hair recently.
I suppose this would be considered a creation, albeit a temporary one.
A couple years ago, I was soaking some chalcedony in vinegar (a weak acid) to get the caliche off of it. I left it soaking while we went off to the desert for a week. When we got back, the vinegar had evaporated somewhat, dropping the level a little less than an inch, and the dissolved caliche started to precipitate out of the liquid and form crystals back onto the chalcedony. Added a drop of red food coloring, just for sh!ts and grins. 
Taken out of the broth 
Of course, it's not permanent or anything. I just rinsed it off with plain old water when I was through playing. A fun little science experiment, if you will.
Hope you liked it! Jean |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718 
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 17, 2014 18:07:22 GMT -5
WOW!! Way cool.....
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 17, 2014 19:35:45 GMT -5
That's really neat! Who else would have thought of adding food coloring?  |
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Thunder69
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Thunder 2000-2015
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Post by Thunder69 on Jul 17, 2014 19:49:10 GMT -5
Beyond cool...John
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Post by Pat on Jul 17, 2014 19:49:14 GMT -5
Interesting and beautiful. Thanks for the explanation.
I wonder if you could add anything, such as Opticon, to the mix, so it could be slabbed/cabbed.
Clear cement sounds good......
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 17, 2014 20:35:37 GMT -5
That is soooo pretty! So sad that it isn't more durable.
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Post by roy on Jul 17, 2014 20:52:18 GMT -5
thats way cool to bad you couldnt seal it in resin that would make a great display
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
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Post by quartz on Jul 17, 2014 21:31:18 GMT -5
Really different, original, nice to look at. Reminds me of one of the fancy floats seen in parades.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2014 21:38:58 GMT -5
That is so cool.totally thought this thread was about something else.LOL
Dave
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 17, 2014 22:15:03 GMT -5
The reaction forms aragonite crystals. You can also look up "popcorn rock" (limestone) which are soaked in vinegar for the same effect.
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transcendental
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2014
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Post by transcendental on Jul 17, 2014 22:16:27 GMT -5
How non permanent is it? Reminds me of popcorn rocks. Soak them in vinegar and aragonite crystals grows on them. I had one on my shelf for over a year until my kid grabbed it and all the growth flaked off. Your rock looks very similar
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junglejim
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
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Post by junglejim on Jul 17, 2014 23:32:29 GMT -5
Too cool!!!!! I have to try this and try and preserve it. Maybe resin spray after the dye than into a resin mold and cover. Thanks for showing this.
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Post by snowmom on Jul 18, 2014 5:20:41 GMT -5
fun to do... would love to see results of these experiments posted here. interesting thread!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 18, 2014 12:26:31 GMT -5
Thanks all, glad you enjoyed it!
Pat, I don't think you could add anything to make it permanent. It is very crumbly, just touch it and it falls apart. Doubt you could turn it into something you could slab and cab.
Really different, original, nice to look at. Reminds me of one of the fancy floats seen in parades.
Larry, to me, it kind of looks like frosting, some kind of dessert? Maybe strawberry something or other? (when you're on a diet, everything looks like dessert!)
That is so cool.totally thought this thread was about something else.LOL Dave Dave, now what did you have in mind, huh? In that case, I'd have posted the thread under Life, the Universe, etc, and not creations, lol.
How non permanent is it? Reminds me of popcorn rocks. Soak them in vinegar and aragonite crystals grows on them. I had one on my shelf for over a year until my kid grabbed it and all the growth flaked off. Your rock looks very similar
Very non-permanent. Touch it, and it falls apart. The vinegar only dissolved the caliche, not any of the chalcedony. The "crystals" just washed away with water, leaving the original rock untouched.
Too cool!!!!! I have to try this and try and preserve it. Maybe resin spray after the dye than into a resin mold and cover. Thanks for showing this. Jim, I suppose you might be able to spray it with something and cover with resin. Let us know how that works! fun to do... would love to see results of these experiments posted here. interesting thread! snowmom, it was an accidental experiment. Sorta like growing mold by accident on some old food you forgot about in the back of the fridge? But yeah, it was fun. |
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Post by snowmom on Jul 18, 2014 14:50:10 GMT -5
LOL, sometimes those are the best experiments... isn't that how mold was discovered as the source for penicillin?
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