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Author Topic: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper  (Read 2037 times)

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OurEarthlyDesigns

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To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« on: May 12, 2017, 03:18:42 PM »

This is my first posting, and hopefully it's been posted in the right place. I recently acquired a few pieces of Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper, and I must say that one of the pieces I'm kind of awe struck by. I am fairly new to rock collecting, and lapidary work; however, I think I have picked up the skill quite well. Assuming my skill set is adequate, I'm still wondering if a piece that is this beautiful is more valuable cabbed out. I think I can probably get 1 or 2 cabs out of it, or just polished as a specimen. Any experience and advise on this stone and this topic in general would be greatly appreciated. I've attached a picture of the Poppy Jasper in question. Also I've attached a picture of my latest cab so you guys can get an idea of my cabbing skill level. Lastly, I know that the cab is agate, and therefore probably very difficult to pinpoint locale, but if anybody has any suggestions on that that would be welcome as well. I'm excited to be a part of this forum. 2 months into the hobby, and I'm loving it.
Michael
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Michael
Our Earthly Designs
Santa Rosa Ca

ToTheSummit

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2017, 03:28:37 PM »

Your cab looks beautiful to me.  Looks like a Botswana agate if I had to guess.

As for the poppy jasper...I'm a serial cutter and I say cut just about everything!  It has to be something extraordinary for me to refrain from cutting it up.  I think you'd get great cabs from that piece.

Oh, and welcome to the forums from Las Vegas.  :blob1:
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lithicbeads

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2017, 03:35:42 PM »

If you have access to folks who really appreciate Morgan Hill rough I would go that way as in my experience it can be difficult to sell as cabs. Morgan Hill is famous for it's fractures , healed or not and collectors are aware of that while cab buyers often think you are trying to rip them off with healed fractures in the piece. If there are no fractures healed or otherwise  selling the rough would definitely be the way to go as it is distinctive and that would be a dynamite combination. I believe your agate is something other than Botswana. Those yellows are more common to Brazilian agate.
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OurEarthlyDesigns

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2017, 03:45:29 PM »

Your cab looks beautiful to me.  Looks like a Botswana agate if I had to guess.

As for the poppy jasper...I'm a serial cutter and I say cut just about everything!  It has to be something extraordinary for me to refrain from cutting it up.  I think you'd get great cabs from that piece.

Oh, and welcome to the forums from Las Vegas.  :blob1:

Thanks so much for the compliment. I think I could great cabs as well. I'm just wondering if the value as a polished specimen is greater than that of cabs. It's a difficult one. I don't know much about specimen value, but I do know that poppy jasper is fairly rare.
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Michael
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OurEarthlyDesigns

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2017, 03:50:30 PM »

If you have access to folks who really appreciate Morgan Hill rough I would go that way as in my experience it can be difficult to sell as cabs. Morgan Hill is famous for it's fractures , healed or not and collectors are aware of that while cab buyers often think you are trying to rip them off with healed fractures in the piece. If there are no fractures healed or otherwise  selling the rough would definitely be the way to go as it is distinctive and that would be a dynamite combination. I believe your agate is something other than Botswana. Those yellows are more common to Brazilian agate.

Yeah. I get what your saying. The thing is it only cost me about $4, and I've tried to inspect it closely, and don't see cracks plus I feel like I'm pretty good at working around cracks or making 2 smaller pieces, maybe earrings, rather than 1 if need be. Being that I'm fairly new to the hobby I don't know anybody that would be willing to buy it rough. My only avenue to sell it would be etsy which I'm still establishing. So I guess my biggest concern was I didn't want to devalue a potentially valuable specimen by making cabs. Assuming there weren't any cracks, would the piece be more valuable as a small specimen? Or as a cab? Again, I don't have a ton of experience, but this seems like a fairly rare piece to have such vibrant reds and really well formed orbs.
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Michael
Our Earthly Designs
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irockhound

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2017, 05:29:37 PM »

Botswana would have been my guess if it didn't have the Tan/Creme color band.  I have never had that color in Botswana and I have and have had quite a bit, not to say it doesn't exist I have just never seen it.  The banding is as good as Botswana for sure.  I like the cut and the reverse on the top.  I would cut the Morgan Hill but not to sell, just to make it better by using your obvious skills to make a killer cab.
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OurEarthlyDesigns

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2017, 06:47:36 PM »

Botswana would have been my guess if it didn't have the Tan/Creme color band.  I have never had that color in Botswana and I have and have had quite a bit, not to say it doesn't exist I have just never seen it.  The banding is as good as Botswana for sure.  I like the cut and the reverse on the top.  I would cut the Morgan Hill but not to sell, just to make it better by using your obvious skills to make a killer cab.
Thanks for the compliment. That's what I'm starting to lean towards. I think I might be able to push 3 or 4 cabs out of it. We'll see. I'm kind of nervous to cut it though because it is fairly thin and will require thinner type slabs if I'm to maximize the rock.
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Michael
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Phishisgroovin

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2017, 05:54:30 AM »

nope, that agate isnt botswana its brazilian
the yellowish color on the ouside edges give it away.

the poppy, well i say leave it and shape it large like you did the brazilian
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kent

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2017, 08:07:14 AM »

I don't know about the agate but for the poppy Jasper I say ignore monetary value and practice your craft.

Be an artist, find the shape and surfaces that talk to you and take this piece on your journey.   

Nice shape on the agate by the way !

Cheers,

Kent
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Gergis

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2017, 08:53:17 AM »

I don't know about the agate but for the poppy Jasper I say ignore monetary value and practice your craft.

Be an artist, find the shape and surfaces that talk to you and take this piece on your journey.   

Nice shape on the agate by the way !

Cheers,

Kent
Couldnt have said it better. Have fun with it and happy cutting!

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

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OurEarthlyDesigns

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2017, 05:41:15 PM »

I cut it! I'm super excited because I was able to get 2 halves that I'm pretty stoked about. I marked it with ideas, but I'm thinking maybe to flat lap it first to examine for cracking before picking out shapes. Man though, I don't think I'm going to be giving this up.
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Michael
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vitzitziltecpatl

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2017, 07:23:44 AM »

Excellent! If those are solid they should be fantastic large cabs. The lines each side of center give it a balanced look. If they finish out with just a little shaping and smoothing you really got a winner with your $4 on those!

Steve Ramsdell

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Re: To cut or not to cut my Poppy Jasper
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2017, 05:39:08 PM »

Guess I'm with the cutters.  Go right ahead.  The other agate reminds me of grey skin agate from India.  They do have those cream tones.
Steve
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