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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
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Gemstones
#16696761 - 08/14/12 12:32 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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Over the last two weeks I have gotten very interested in gemstones. The last times I have gotten this interested in something was 12 years ago when I started playing guitar and 7 years ago when I started hunting mushrooms.
Two weeks ago i went looking for vesuvianite or "California Jade", which is NOT actualy california jade. Nephrite Jade or Jadeite from California is california jade.
Anyway vesuvianite is a mineral that sometimes produces gem grade crystals.
We spent the day in the sun looking for tiny specks of green rock. It was cool and gave me the same feeling that looking for and finding mushrooms gives me.
After this I started learning about geology and crystals.
I am going to become a stone cutter. I was in the center of town trying to find some cannabis and when we arrived there were two officers douchebaggin it up. I did not go to the park and went and talked to this guy who was selling crystals. He ended up giving over a hundred carats of facet grade aquamarine(blue beryl, same mineral as emerald just aqua blue) to me for almost nothing when I told him I am getting into making faceted gems!
I am fascinated. There are so many cool gems around.
I can tell though, this is going to be harder than hunting mushrooms. Looking for small transparent pebbles!!!!
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
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Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696786 - 08/14/12 12:40 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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The Black Princes Ruby
The Black Prince's Ruby enters the "stage of history" in middle of the 14th century as the possession of Abu Said, the Moorish Prince of Granada. At that time, the rule of Castilian Spain was being centralized to Seville and the Moorish Kingdom of Granada was being systematically attacked and reverted to Spanish rule as a part of the Christian Reconquest of Spain. Abu Said in particular was confronted by the belligerency of nascent Castile under the rule of Pedro of Castile, also known to history as Don Pedro the Cruel. According to historical accounts, Abu Said wished to surrender to Don Pedro, but the conditions he offered were unclear. What is clear is that Don Pedro welcomed his coming to Seville. It is recorded that he greatly desired Abu Said's wealth. When Abu Said met with Don Pedro, the don had Said's servants killed and may have personally stabbed Said to death himself. Upon searching Said's corpse, the spinel was found and added to Don Pedro's possessions.
In 1366, Don Pedro's illegitimate brother, Henry of Trastamara, led a revolt against Don Pedro. Lacking the power to put down the revolt unaided, Don Pedro made an alliance with the Black Prince. The revolt was successfully put down and the Black Prince demanded Abu Said's ruby in exchange for the services he had rendered. While historians speculate that this was contrary to Don Pedro's desires, he had just suffered a costly civil war and was in no position to decline. It can be assumed that The Black Prince took the Ruby back to England, although it is absent from historical records until 1415.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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bloodsheen
ChemChaplin
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696801 - 08/14/12 12:44 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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People seem to enjoy the worst parts of gems
For instance, diamonds, by far, the worst gem in the world. For christs sake its just a hunk of charcoal that got stuck under the earth for an eon or so
Also, why is perfection in gems desired? There are some pretty sick inclusions/flaws that really give gems character.
-------------------- A cautious young fellow named Lodge / Had seat belts installed in his Dodge. / When his date was strapped in / He committed a sin / Without even leaving the garage. That's clever, isn't it?-A boy and his dog
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ButteredToast
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696807 - 08/14/12 12:46 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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Awesome. I went looking for tourmaline down in San Diego a few months ago, didn't find any, but I did find a few cool pieces of quartz. I want to get out there again but it has been do damn hot lately
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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
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Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Quote:
bloodsheen said: People seem to enjoy the worst parts of gems
For instance, diamonds, by far, the worst gem in the world. For christs sake its just a hunk of charcoal that got stuck under the earth for an eon or so
Also, why is perfection in gems desired? There are some pretty sick inclusions/flaws that really give gems character.
I agree with this. The diamond market is fucked. there is a diamond depostit not 30 minutes from where I was this weekend that debeers bought a hundred years ago and shut down to keep the price of the african stones up.
As far as gem inclusions, gem grade vesuvianite or californite as its called if its a specific grade, has inclusions that contain gold.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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venetianblinds
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696833 - 08/14/12 12:56 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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i got a giftcard to some bookstore for my birthday and on a whim bought the smithsonian guide to rock and gem. the pictures are beautiful, i also like the little diagrams of the way the molecules and atoms are arranged.
-------------------- How do you know but ev’ry Bird that cuts the airy way, Is an immense world of delight, clos’d by your senses five?
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sui
I love you.
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Quote:
ButteredToast said: Awesome. I went looking for tourmaline down in San Diego a few months ago, didn't find any, but I did find a few cool pieces of quartz. I want to get out there again but it has been do damn hot lately
I bet its crazy hot in san d.
I have a few spots I want to look at. One for ruby spinel, and another for sapphire. Ive been doing some reading and have read that sapphire and ruby occure with vermiculite. There is this geologist that found ruby and sapphire just by finding reports of old vermiculite deposits.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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ButteredToast
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696844 - 08/14/12 12:59 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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You've probably seen it already but check out this thread guess the rock!
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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
Posts: 32,534
Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696845 - 08/14/12 12:59 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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this site is so informative.
http://gemhunter.webs.com/
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
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Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696849 - 08/14/12 01:01 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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this guy found 13000 carats of peridot in anthills!
The ants were collecting the gemstones!
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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venetianblinds
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696852 - 08/14/12 01:02 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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why?
-------------------- How do you know but ev’ry Bird that cuts the airy way, Is an immense world of delight, clos’d by your senses five?
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passifloracaerulea
Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696854 - 08/14/12 01:02 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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sui, i have some great stone and faceting the obsidian is gorgeous, just very low impact jewelry. my cabs and freeforms are gorgeous. i'm home at the moment and will be back at the mines by thursday morning if you know a digger. i have tourmalines, kunzites, and beryls from the san diego area mines, some as recently blasted as february.
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sui
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Registered: 08/20/04
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because they like shiny things too.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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passifloracaerulea
Registered: 11/13/10
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Quote:
ButteredToast said: You've probably seen it already but check out this thread guess the rock!
that's my thread!
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passifloracaerulea
Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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it's good to see the shroomery rockhound community growing. we're gonna start seeing each other out there mining.
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sui
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Registered: 08/20/04
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Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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I am fascinated. We are planning a jade trip soon. Do you want to look for sapphires with us passiflora?
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
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Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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Quote:
passifloracaerulea said: sui, i have some great stone and faceting the obsidian is gorgeous, just very low impact jewelry. my cabs and freeforms are gorgeous. i'm home at the moment and will be back at the mines by thursday morning if you know a digger. i have tourmalines, kunzites, and beryls from the san diego area mines, some as recently blasted as february.
I cant wait to start. I need to talk to my dad about the lapidary equipment my step mother had. I have a small amount of tourmaline to work with that i got from the rock shop in arcata.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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passifloracaerulea
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Re: Gemstones [Re: sui]
#16696888 - 08/14/12 01:16 AM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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i'm focusing on electric blue this year. what state you heading to for the saphires, montana?
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passifloracaerulea
Registered: 11/13/10
Posts: 10,485
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all you mentioned in he equipment and tourmaline is valuable. treat it as such.
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sui
I love you.
Registered: 08/20/04
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Loc: Cali, Contra Costa Co.
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I have some stuff that is clear but brown, a fractured stone that broke into 3 pieces. And one small 2 carat greenish yellow stone that I really dig. I got them for like 2 bucks, so its not a big loss if i bif the facet job, but im going to try to be careful.
-------------------- "There is never a wrong note, bend it." Jimi Hendrix
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