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Let's Rock => Rock Talk => Topic started by: aksockeye on June 26, 2018, 10:58:56 PM
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Charoite, Pietrsite,Tiffany Stone, Oceen jasper, favorite jasper, favorite agate. What do you regret not buying more material if you could find it.
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Probably a tie. Wingate Pass Plume Agate, had a friend selling slabs 6" x 8 or 9" for $25 a piece and only bought a couple. Second is Dino Bone back when it was 3 to $10 per pound.
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Good question to start a new thread!
Having started out cutting opal before anything else I have to include Lightning Ridge and Mintabie rough.
Aside from that, really good Chrysocolla and Native Copper would top the list.
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Opal, including really good Koroit (of course), gem silica, ocean jasper, dino bone .... the list goes on.
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being a northwestern rockhound..... Biggs, Original Owyhee, and Morrisonite jasper top my list of materials I love to cut into cabochons... If it is just about making money I would add Leather's Ranch plume agate and gem Dino bone from Utah.
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Ruby in zoisite and Alaska jade. Both at $3 per pound ten years ago. Malachite and chrysocholla at $5 per pound only five years ago.
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Precious Australian opal, Morrisonite, Carrasite, top dino bone, rutilated quartz and lots more.
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Rhodochrosite. Seems like the Rodo guys have just about cornered the market on this stuff.
Even though I never had the chance because I didn't know it existed, but I would have liked to have bought a few large pieces of blue Imori / Victoria stone back in the day. I found a few tiny slabs in some boxes from some guys collection in the dusty back bins in some sleepy rock shop somewhere in inland California a few years ago. I snapped them up, but not before the owner realized (after doing a search) what they were and jacked the price way up. Should have never asked the owner "what's this slab?" Doh!
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So many things... including bunch of stuff I'd sold or given away: Rufus area Blue Biggs, Harper wood, Leather's Ranch, Holley Blue, Oregonite and original Kinradite poppy jaspers, more Deschutes, vistaite and fire obsidian from when Elkins was still in business, fossil leaves and other material from southwest of Mitchell before they closed the dig, Morris Ranch plume in carnelian, a few finished pieces of old Priday Plume (early on, I made the mistake of thinking that I could find a couple of similar scenes at a cheaper price - doesn't happen, but a good learning experience), the good red beryl/bixbite pieces I should have snapped up, Blue Dot Gem silica, and that's before I even get to the non-gemrock minerals side of my collection.
...and of course, the Comstock Lode (to pay for it all).
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Mexican bean agate for me.
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Gem quality Variegated Tiger Eye. Rivals gem quality Pietresite, at a much lower price.
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Snowville Varquoise very rare now and expensive.
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35 years ago in Sebastopol, CA I had the opportunity to buy some insane red/magenta rubellite from a friend who had good Brazilian connections.
Didn't jump on it thinking it was common.
Also around the same time period bought a small parcel of rare Red Strawberry Rutilated Quartz at Tucson. Turns out it was only one small pocket and none found since. (Brazil)
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Chrysoprase from Malborough
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Gold, when it was under $600 an oz