Topic: Spencer Opal (Read 3978 times)

irockhound · « **on:** November 20, 2019, 02:55:11 PM »

Hi all, I recently had a realtor who would always come by and ask if I was interested in his wife's parents rocks. He came by about a month ago and told me she had passed away and asked if I was still interested. I went by the house and he wanted to take all the buckets and pay him what I thought it was worth. There were 33 buckets of rock. Out of that there was a 6 gallon bucket filled with Spencer Opal nodules. 98% of the nodules have multiple fire bands in them. Some of the fire is in the very top layer, others down in between the White Opal layers typical of Spencer. I have never cut Spencer, no idea how good of a find it is. I ground 2 pieces down to the first fire band and find it difficult to gauge when to stop in the band because with the White Opal following band backing the fire layer it is hard to gauge how good it will be when backed and have I gotten rid of all of the White layer above the band? Rick, I know you have cut a lot of Spencer and you are nice and local maybe I can buy you lunch if you want to swing by one day and look at the material and give me some tips.

Would be great if the Welo dealers that were there last year come back. They had about 5 of the long booth tables set with riker tray filled with Welo. $5 a gram so the right shaped piece you have a $5 smokin stone. Being able to cherry pick at that price is killer, no waste!

gemfeller · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2019, 02:05:25 PM »

I'd be more than happy to share what I know Steve. I've somehow lost your contact info: email, phone, address etc. Shoot me a PM and we'll arrange a get-together.

irockhound · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2019, 12:39:51 PM »

Thanks Rick, message sent. Always appreciate your knowledge and expertise.

hummingbirdstones · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2019, 07:28:15 PM »

Oh to be a fly on the wall!

irockhound · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2019, 08:48:47 PM »

It was fun getting this stuff clean. He used 5 gallon metal pails and the bottom of the Opal bucket had filled with water so 1/2 came out just looking like rusted metal. Scrubbing those off and finding the precious layers in them was quite fun. We will have to let everyone know the findings after we meet if it was a win.

vitzitziltecpatl · « **Reply #5 on:** November 23, 2019, 06:45:26 AM »

Yeah - fun alright! A bucket of any kind of opal would make me quite happy...!

Keep a close eye out for any layers that might be thick enough to cut a solid. You can always cut a flat-top with the thin color bar on top of the potch below, but if you find one that has a color bar of any kind that is thick enough to cab you'll have a real winner.

fossilman · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2019, 06:48:07 AM »

Nice score on the Opal... Question is, did you buy all the 33 buckets from him also!

ileney · « **Reply #7 on:** November 24, 2019, 09:14:51 PM »

I've heard these make the world's best triplets because the fire is extremely bright and the layers so flat. I had a large Spencer opal rock - maybe weighed a pound or more, but I know nothing about how to cut it either, and grinding was impossible as it was so huge. A friend took it to cut it down for me to nearer the two fire bands so I'll have less grinding. I will see if he was able to help me out in a week or two. Let us know how you make out and if you learn any secrets for figuring out how far to grind.

irockhound · « **Reply #8 on:** November 24, 2019, 10:04:49 PM »

Yeah I got all 33 buckets: Tally
2.5 gal red hill dendritic
2.5 gal Marfa Black Plume
1 gal opalized Gabbs wood
2 Gallon Idaho Plume and Tube
6 gal Spencer
16 qt Sterilite Palm Root slabs
10 gal Palm Root Rough +2 10 lb blocks
2 16 qt Sterilite Laguna and Coyamito Nodules
1 8 qt Sterilite toe of Gem Silica rough
2 gal Gem silica slabs
7 lbs Biggs Jasper block
1 lb Wingate plume
1 lb Morrisonite Jasper
2 lbs Crazy lace
1 Piece Cathedral rough
1.5 gal Nipomo Sagenite
20 lbs Sheep Creek Plume (Craig says its the best he has ever seen)
15 lbs soapstone dark green mottled
30 lb block of awesome White Agate/Marcasite
1.5 gal Big digging Plume
4 pieces Bat cave Jasper
3 Gal Optical Qtz
40 lbs Rhodonite rough (dark pinks/reds and some normal)
2 gal Carnelian
15 lb Gemmy Dino Chunk (red, yellow and black)
20 gal assorted lrg wood rough
10 gal Hi end Red AZ wood with black dendrites
3 gal horse canyon plume and Sagenite
8 gal woodward small nodules
3 gal Oregon Plume
2.5 gal Fire Agate
4 gal White Jade
5 gal jades Alaskan, Wyoming, Burmese and one very large block of Victorville blk jade with Magnetite xls
5 gal Tampa Bay Geodes
3 gal Montanas
5 gal small wood pieces
3 Gal Basenite
2 gal Rose qtz 1 lb of which is facet grade
2 piece Durmortierite
2 lrg Rainbow Ridge rough
7 gal mahogany midnight lace and sheen obsidian
1 large Howlite 15 lbs or so
100 lb Wood Stump
3 gal Azurite Chrysocolla in White Quartz
2 gal Sunstones
5 gal slabs (jades Plumes woods Sagenites etc.)
Various small rough Sagenites, Jaspers, (Bruneau, Owyhee etc, Rutilated Qtz, Marcasite Agate, Amethyst with Goethite
probably more I have forgotten.

vitzitziltecpatl · « **Reply #9 on:** November 25, 2019, 05:28:33 AM »

Wow! Merry Christmas to you - and enough happy to last well into next year... .

hummingbirdstones · « **Reply #10 on:** November 25, 2019, 06:01:46 AM »

Holy smokes, that's a score of a lifetime!

Pictures! I would love to see pictures!!!!!! Please?

Ryaly2dogs · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2019, 12:00:56 PM »

That is a world class list of droolworthy rocks; many areas of which are closed to collecting. Congrats on your score! I second the request for pics, inquiring minds want to see!