Rock Hounds Unite

[freeztar]

"Rockhounds never ever die, they just slowly petrify"

 

I'm a lifelong rockhound. I know there are others lurking here, so I thought it might be fun if we joined in some discussions about everything related to rockhounding. This would include stuff like:

*personal anecdotes

*photos from your collection

*rockhounding sites you have visited or found

*web references for rockhounding

*books on rockhounding

*etc. etc.

 

I can't travel anywhere in nature without experiencing the rocks. As a kid, my pockets would always be filled with stones I collected throughout the day (my poor parents). I've done quite a bit of rockhounding and I've also traveled to various mineral shows (including Tuscon) to augment my collection. I've accrued quite a collection over time and would be interested in discussing various pieces with people here.

 

I'll post some photos and other information as I find time and see fit. Hopefully all you other rock lovers will pop up and share as well. :Exclamati

[freeztar]

Here's a picture I just took of a specimen that lives by my sink. It is blue Fluorite on Calcite from New Mexico. I obtained it from a dealer in Tucson in 2003. It's a subtle piece from afar, but up close, it is a gemmy delight. This specimen is about 6" across and makes for a nice distraction while washing dishes. :Exclamati

[Turtle]

In my efforts to minimalize possessions, I have discarded all but two of my rocks. One is an ore sample that I may yet someday have assayed, the other a piece of chalcedony from the same location.

 

Among the many rocks I discarded, I list 10 pounds of coprolites that I dug from a clay bank along a river somewhere SE of Olympia Washington. I used to wear an earring that I made from a small one; quite the conversation piece if ya know what I mean. :note2: :hyper:

[freeztar]

At least it wasn't a nose ring, so that way you could appear at least a little bit sane when asked, "what is that bizzare stone?" :hyper:

 

I never found any coprolites around Oly, but I did find some nice carnelians in a creek south of Tumwater.

 

The PNW geology is awesome!

[Turtle]

At least it wasn't a nose ring, so that way you could appear at least a little bit sane when asked, "what is that bizzare stone?" :note:

 

I never found any coprolites around Oly, but I did find some nice carnelians in a creek south of Tumwater.

 

The PNW geology is awesome!

 

You play me coy, yes, no? Carnelian of course is a variety of chalcedony, while my sample is an opaque red rather than translucent, and usually referred to as jasper. I have made a scan & have it below. Besides this varitey, the deposit has banded agate in white & blue, and drusy quartz. Oh...and gold. :note2:

 

Footnote: The value of all the gold taken from Gifford Pinchot National forest in the last 100 years, is less than $40,000. :hyper:

 

(click for full-size view)

[freeztar]

Here's one of the pieces I found out there. It's quite translucent when held to a light. The drusy is amazing, which the picture couldn't capture. If you look on the left side of the picture you can notice some etching. In person it looks like the underside of a gilled mushroom. :hihi:

[Turtle]

Here's one of the pieces I found out there. It's quite translucent when held to a light. The drusy is amazing, which the picture couldn't capture. If you look on the left side of the picture you can notice some etching. In person it looks like the underside of a gilled mushroom. :doh:

 

Ooooooo!!! Very nice! :) Even without the drusy's sparkle, I clearly see the hummocky form.

 

Do you do any lapidary and/or jewelry work with your stones? I borrowed a tumbler for a couple of years, but the one stone I had cut & planned to make into a ring broke apart during polishing. I tried it on the coprolites too; contrary to the popular saying, you can polish a turd. :hihi:

 

:cup: :hihi:

[freeztar]

I bought a dremel to do some minor stuff with but I only used it once and got discouraged and haven't picked it up since. I've also got an industrial strength tumbler, but it's really more of a pain than it is worth, although I did have some really nice results with some agates I had found. I've also tried my hand at wire wrapping and that's probably my favorite way to work with stones. I like seeing jewelry that is not polished and sparkly, raw ya know.

 

Here's another Carnelian with a drusy "cave", found in the same stream.

[maikeru]

"Rockhounds never ever die, they just slowly petrify"

 

I'm a lifelong rockhound. I know there are others lurking here, so I thought it might be fun if we joined in some discussions about everything related to rockhounding. This would include stuff like:

*personal anecdotes

*photos from your collection

*rockhounding sites you have visited or found

*web references for rockhounding

*books on rockhounding

*etc. etc.

 

Well, I am quite well petrified and thoroughly and stubbornly stone-headed. I should've known that my early obsession with collecting rocks and minerals would lead to science.

 

I can't remember everything that's in my collection, because I haven't looked at them in years. They're stored in boxes big and little under my bed and in my closet, but the rocks I have include everything from slag gathered by Utah Lake to agate, quartz crystals, and a small geode, IIRC. I might have a trilobite fossil as well. I have somewhere The Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.

 

Whenever I go hiking, I always spend an inordinate amount of time looking at the rocks and plants growing in them, which drives my father and brother nuts. I've always wanted to collect some fossils which might date from the time of Lake Bonneville. The mountains and benches here would've been islands and beaches at one time in the midst of that prehistoric lake.

[Turtle]

Well, I am quite well petrified and thoroughly and stubbornly stone-headed. I should've known that my early obsession with collecting rocks and minerals would lead to science.

All roads lead to science. :hihi:

 

I can't remember everything that's in my collection, because I haven't looked at them in years. They're stored in boxes big and little under my bed and in my closet, but the rocks I have include everything from slag gathered by Utah Lake to agate, quartz crystals, and a small geode, IIRC. I might have a trilobite fossil as well. I have somewhere The Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.

 

Is that the Audubon Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals? I have it too.

 

Has your posting prompted you to drag out boxes of rocksez? Have you done any lapidary?

 

I bought a dremel to do some minor stuff with but I only used it once and got discouraged and haven't picked it up since. I've also got an industrial strength tumbler, but it's really more of a pain than it is worth, although I did have some really nice results with some agates I had found. I've also tried my hand at wire wrapping and that's probably my favorite way to work with stones. I like seeing jewelry that is not polished and sparkly, raw ya know.

 

Dremel (or MotoTool) are good; I find the little cut-off wheels work great for cutting out small stones. What was the problem that discouraged you?

 

Wire wrapping good. I developed a knack for making & twisting specialty wires, and they fit very well with unpolished/un-cut stones.

 

Nothing left to say except, "release the hounds!!!" :doh: :eek:

[freeztar]

Well, I am quite well petrified and thoroughly and stubbornly stone-headed. I should've known that my early obsession with collecting rocks and minerals would lead to science.

 

Cool! Rocks were my introduction to science. My parents got me this really cool book on Geology in third grade and I've been hooked ever since. I contemplated Geology as a major, but had to go with Ecology as it includes a little bit of everything.

I can't remember everything that's in my collection, because I haven't looked at them in years. They're stored in boxes big and little under my bed and in my closet, but the rocks I have include everything from slag gathered by Utah Lake to agate, quartz crystals, and a small geode, IIRC. I might have a trilobite fossil as well. I have somewhere The Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals.

 

When you dig them up, take a picture of some. :eek:

 

Whenever I go hiking, I always spend an inordinate amount of time looking at the rocks and plants growing in them, which drives my father and brother nuts. I've always wanted to collect some fossils which might date from the time of Lake Bonneville. The mountains and benches here would've been islands and beaches at one time in the midst of that prehistoric lake.

 

Kinda like Lake Powell, huh. But bigger....:hihi:

 

I've only collected fossils twice.

The first time was sheer accident. I was on a road trip with a couple friends traveling across the country for a month. We stopped in Kansas for a night and stayed at a state park. It was gorgeous and I, as always, spent most of my time crawling around and looking at the rocks. I found some great fossils there, three different kinds perfectly intact and without substrate.

The second time was in California. There was this awesome river that had huge rocks completely embeded with fossils. We tried, unsuccessfully to break some larger rocks, but they wouldn't give. So I walked away modestly with a few exemplary pieces.

And now that I think about it some more, I also found some fossilized wood in New Mexico and Wyoming.

And also some Dino fossils in Arizona...

 

If you head over to the northeast corner of Utah, you'll find a town called Dinosaur (although it might be just over the border in Colorado, can't remember exactly). There's bound to be some good fossil hunting around there. :doh:

Unfortunately I don't have first hand experience as we just passed through there on our way to somewhere else, so I got trumped by my two friends who did not want to visit the Dinosaur Museum, much less crawl around in the sweltering heat of summer. :cup:

 

There are some nice minerals to be found in Utah as well.

[freeztar]

Dremel (or MotoTool) are good; I find the little cut-off wheels work great for cutting out small stones. What was the problem that discouraged you?

 

Lots of things...

I had a real hard time finding a good vise that allowed adequate access. The one I settled with was ok for medium sized stuff, but impossible for smaller stuff. I also ran through those cutting wheels like they were going out of business (what a weird saying). I got a pack of diamond wheels and they would disintegrate before my eyes. Agate has a MOH rating of 7 I believe. Diamond is up there at 10, yet they weren't cutting it (:eek:). After burning through several wheels and only seeing a sight nick in the stone, I abandoned the effort. I also tried several of the other attachments with no luck. I still have it, but it's boxed up and hasn't been used in a few years (same with the tumbler).

Wire wrapping good. :hihi: I developed a knack for making & twisting specialty wires, and they fit very well with unpolished/un-cut stones.

 

I'd like to check those out if you have some pictures (I'm assuming you've abandoned them in the quest for lightness).

I'll have to find the few I have and I'll post some pics of them, when found.

Nothing left to say except, "release the hounds!!!" :cup: :doh:

 

HOOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLL!!!!

 

Rocks are so cool that simply sticking them behind your name makes you cooler. An example:

{your name here} Rocks!

[Turtle]

Lots of things...

I had a real hard time finding a good vise that allowed adequate access. The one I settled with was ok for medium sized stuff, but impossible for smaller stuff.

 

I have a small (3" long jaws) vise that clamps to the table top, and even so find it necessary to make small jigs to suit a particular piece. This may work as well for your larger vise.

I also ran through those cutting wheels like they were going out of business (what a weird saying). I got a pack of diamond wheels and they would disintegrate before my eyes. Agate has a MOH rating of 7 I believe. Diamond is up there at 10, yet they weren't cutting it (:eek:). After burning through several wheels and only seeing a sight nick in the stone, I abandoned the effort.

 

I never tried the diamond wheels, and the quick 'using up' of the wheels is just the nature of the beast. (There's gotta be a good reason to sell them in packs of 50!:cup: ) Slow and steady wins that race. I recently found a different type, although I'm not sure if they're new or not; they are a bit bigger in diameter and have an added ingredient that makes them last 10 times as long as the standard wheels. :hihi:

I also tried several of the other attachments with no luck. I still have it, but it's boxed up and hasn't been used in a few years (same with the tumbler).

 

I find the grinding wheels useful; they go as quickly as the cutting wheels, but get the job done. I used them in the trades to cut holes in ceramic tiles when installing bath fixtures and they beat any so called 'ceramic' bits for standard drills. They do a dandy job grinding rocks to shape. I also use the buffing wheels a lot; be sure & get some jeweller's rouge to use with them (it comes in a variety of grits).

 

 

I'd like to check those out if you have some pictures (I'm assuming you've abandoned them in the quest for lightness).

 

I have only 1 example of some twisted wire, the rest as you say, I abandoned. I have attached a scan below. The piece is all copper & constructed of 2 double-strand twists of round wire twisted into a forged flat wire.

 

I'll have to find the few I have and I'll post some pics of them, when found.

 

HOOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLL!!!!

 

Rocks are so cool that simply sticking them behind your name makes you cooler. An example:

{your name here} Rocks!

 

HOOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLL!!!! :doh:

[freeztar]

I find the grinding wheels useful; they go as quickly as the cutting wheels, but get the job done. I used them in the trades to cut holes in ceramic tiles when installing bath fixtures and they beat any so called 'ceramic' bits for standard drills. They do a dandy job grinding rocks to shape. I also use the buffing wheels a lot; be sure & get some jeweller's rouge to use with them (it comes in a variety of grits).

 

The grinding wheels were better indeed, but not as precise and a B**** for cutting.

I bought a set of micro bits off ebay to drill some holes through some tumbled stones to make beads, but I succeeded in splitting every stone I put under the bit. My Dremel's RPMs are variable between 7,000 and 14,000 (IIRC). I tried both speeds on a variety of specimens, with no success.

 

:shrug:

[maikeru]

Cool! Rocks were my introduction to science. My parents got me this really cool book on Geology in third grade and I've been hooked ever since. I contemplated Geology as a major, but had to go with Ecology as it includes a little bit of everything.

 

:shrug: I've always had this niggling little feeling that small boys are the missing link between Neanderthals and modern humans, because they collect so many rocks and pebbles. Neanderthals collected them for hand-axes, hammers, and flint spear heads. We do it because the rocks are funny, shiny, or pretty. Just a slight change in purpose. :shrug:

 

Well, maybe ecology won't tell you how rocks and dirt form, but it teaches a lot besides those. Mmm, the interconnectedness of all things, living and nonliving. ;) Ecology's also excellent for understanding things in microbiology, human physiology, immunology, cancer, and a lot of other biology fields, I've come to realize.

 

After a lot of rocks and complaints from my folks, I started growing plants in big pots at my parents' business, got my first microscope which allowed me to watch amoebas and parameciums in pond water, and watched way too much Nature on PBS, which I think warped my brain with too much lion and elephant coupling live on TV. It's irreparably damaged my moral compass.

 

When you dig them up, take a picture of some. ;)

 

I'll do that. And I'm thinking about taking pictures of a lot of other things, like the terra preta indoor garden. Just a warning, but the oreganos and mints scare me. They've gone wild. I still haven't cleared all the pots yet, as I mentioned I would in the terra preta forum. Just a few so far. My mother's really addicted to fresh herbs, so I've gotten complaints about my drastic solution to nuke the pests and begin anew.

 

Kinda like Lake Powell, huh. But bigger....:(

 

Yes, only much, much bigger.

 

I've only collected fossils twice.

The first time was sheer accident. I was on a road trip with a couple friends traveling across the country for a month. We stopped in Kansas for a night and stayed at a state park. It was gorgeous and I, as always, spent most of my time crawling around and looking at the rocks. I found some great fossils there, three different kinds perfectly intact and without substrate.

The second time was in California. There was this awesome river that had huge rocks completely embeded with fossils. We tried, unsuccessfully to break some larger rocks, but they wouldn't give. So I walked away modestly with a few exemplary pieces.

And now that I think about it some more, I also found some fossilized wood in New Mexico and Wyoming.

And also some Dino fossils in Arizona...

 

Yeah, it seems wherever there's good weathered rock or mountains or hills are just boons for fossil hunting. I haven't done it much in years (because of aforementioned getting yelled at ;)), but it is really enjoyable. Kind of like playing the lottery. I heard that Dugway and the Tintic Mountains are a good place to go fossil and rock hunting here in Utah. But Wasatch Front works too.

 

If you head over to the northeast corner of Utah, you'll find a town called Dinosaur (although it might be just over the border in Colorado, can't remember exactly). There's bound to be some good fossil hunting around there. ;)

Unfortunately I don't have first hand experience as we just passed through there on our way to somewhere else, so I got trumped by my two friends who did not want to visit the Dinosaur Museum, much less crawl around in the sweltering heat of summer. :(

 

Good memory. It appears that it's just over the border in Colorado. Eastern and northeastern Utah is great for fossil hunting, like around Vernal, which is also close to Dino, Colorado.

 

Dinosaur, Colorado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dinosaur National Monument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vernal, Utah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Say hello to Pinky: Image:Pinkdinosaur VernalUT.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

There are some nice minerals to be found in Utah as well.

 

All along the Rockies, I imagine. This area was once jungle, swamp, and ocean in dino times.

[freeztar]

National Geographic News Photo Gallery: Giant Crystal Cave Comes to Light

[Turtle]

We have plenty o' marine fossils here in the PNW along the coast as well as in the Coast Range Mountains. In some places like the Willapa Hills, you can barely take a step without kicking up a cluster of pertrified mussels.

 

I have some ill-formed plans to go meteorite hunting as I'd like to find one before I bite the dust. :rolleyes: Any of you ever find a meteorite? :phones:

http://hypography.com/forums/earth-science/8764-meteorites.html?highlight=meteorites