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Author Topic: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite  (Read 3456 times)

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freeformcabs

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San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« on: December 04, 2016, 08:24:16 AM »

We travel to San Carlos Mexico a few times a year. I have yet to go rockhounding the way I want to when visiting. Always in the water. But On the beaches you will find orbicular rhyolites. This is a recent example from our Oct trip. If anyone gets a chance, visit San Carlos. You will not be disappointed and there is nothing to be afraid of ;)
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Kaljaia

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2016, 12:06:43 PM »

Baby thunder eggs!
Very nice little stone. I love the eyes in the orbicular rhyolite and solid ones are sure neat.
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- Erika

I rock hunt in the Antelope/Ashwood area of the John Day river basin in Oregon.

peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2016, 05:24:30 AM »

You are correct about the rock hounding potential of San Carlos beaches.  There are some spectacular orbicular rhyolites (I've called them mushroom rhyolite in some instances).  Some will take a good polish and other retain a warm patina.  I've worked the beaches where the stones are all 70% tumbled when you find them, but its likely that some terrestrial collecting would be fruitful.  Ditto the green stones in the same sands (maybe serpentine, but I've never identified them with certainty).  I'll try to post a couple of examples.  I've searched for info on the area but it doesn't seem to be mentioned much as a rock hound spot. 



I hope I'm not poaching on your thread, but just trying to fortify the potential of hounding on Sonoran beaches and especially around San Carlos (Guaymas).  Tom 

Actually after writing this I realized my avatar is a piece of agatized rhyolite (or an agate with a couple of rhyolite triangles) also from San Carlos.  There are lots of almost pearlescent agate like stones some of which polish up and some of which more resistant to taking a shine (at least in my hands).  Here are a few of my earliest tumbles from there. 
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freeformcabs

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2016, 07:13:11 AM »

Cool Peruano,

 Nice finds and by all means. I find more and more people who have visited San Carlos and you know the mountains around the city beg rock hunting. I recently saw someone on FB posting a filament Moss labeled from the area as well.

Maybe we can help in share in any favorite collecting locations in the area for travelers. I've notice San Francisco Beach had quite a bit of the Rhyolite as well as the beach at the old Playa Club Marinaterra.

Also, what are your favorite places around the city?
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peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2016, 01:28:26 PM »

There is quite a bit of variation in where the beach rocks are found and which ones are where.  Certainly the beach is big time rocky with rhyolite near Charlies Rock and down the coast for a distance.  Good rhyolite cobble can be found all the way toward Pilar and Bahia Delfin, but its most abundant on the high tide mark closest to Charlie's Rock.  About half way to Pilar from downtown San Carlos, is a hot spot for some rather unusual white shell like structures.  I have work the beaches on the back side of Tetakawi, but the green and white rocks predominant there were disappointing when slabbed.  Towards La Manga the beaches are predominantly sandy, but I'm sure there are sections where rocks accumulate and await discovery.  Among the rhyolites there are so many vaiations, but the ones with the maximal contrast are my favorites.
For example. 
And after being tumbled:

I've never determined what the source of these white shell like medallions is, but the may be extremely worn remnants of large shells.  They are slightly concave/convex, have no trace of a hinge as would a bivalve, have a radiating growth form as evidenced by a distinct crystalline structure and every one is different.  Not an operculum or a radula in my eyes.

Here is one that I have accentuated the detail on with a bit of leather dye.
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peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2016, 07:33:23 AM »

Most of the mentions of agates from San Carlos on Facebook (that I have run across) refer to San Carlos and San Carlos Canyon in Chihuahua.
San Carlos is a common name for towns in Mexico so it pays to check on which area is being discussed for rock localities.  In fact, my TomTom gps gets confused if I ask it to take me to San Carlos Sonora.  Apparently there is another site.  I have seen San Carlos referred to as Nuevo Guaymas, but to my knowledge that name is not used very often.  See you on the beach.  I'm the guy with the cargo pockets on my shorts bulging with rhyolite cobble. 
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freeformcabs

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2016, 09:30:36 AM »

Ya, I agree. Seen the name always relate to Guaymas. Do you live there? Or just visit? I am hopping to get back next fall.
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peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2016, 04:44:25 PM »

I'm a visitor for a week or 10 days (at least for each of the last 6 or so years).  My wife and I have friends who have a condo east of San Carolos and spend a good bit of time walking the beaches between Estero del Soldado and San Carlos proper.  It is so easy to travel to Guaymas from Nogales and Mexico is  a great change from the mild but still chilly winters of New Mexico.  By all means keep me informed if you find other rock hounding/lapidary sources for the area.  Tom 
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peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2017, 04:07:33 PM »

Recently returned from Mexico with a fresh bucket full of beach cobble from San Carlos.  Thought I should share a few of the first efforts at tumbling and cabbing. 






Most of these were small beach cobble which I cut in half or perhaps get three slices from.  Fun at the very least. 
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freeformcabs

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2017, 10:33:42 AM »

Qiute nice there Peruano! That large one really shows off the patterns I personally would be looking for in rhyolites. Thanks for the update!
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peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2017, 02:37:17 PM »

Sorry for the streak on two of the stones.  That is an electronic hiccup somewhere between my modem and Photobucket.  I did go up into Nacupuli Canyon (I need to check spelling on this) and collected both obsidian and rhyolites there, but the beach is so handy, I guess I prefer beach cobble.  However if you were to want big sizes for spheres or other projects, collecting the stuff on the land side would probably be a safer bet.  Some of the obsidian up there and indeed on the beach is a combo of mahogany and blacks, but appears to the aged version, not just frosted but somewhat metamorphosed into a less glass-like material. 
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axllaird

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2017, 05:07:49 PM »

peruano love your pics...one of my friends asked me what was the end product with my rockhounding i told him having some fun. he didn't get it, glad you do.

keep the pics coming.

cheers
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peruano

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Re: San Carlos Orbicular Rhyolite
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2017, 05:24:05 AM »

Thanks for the kind words.
I just ran across a story about someone asking Gertrude Stein how much she had to pay for a portrait of herself drawn by Picasso.  She reported that it had been a gift.  When she repeated the conversation to Picasso, he reportedly replied, "I hope you pointed out that at that time, the difference between a gift and a sale was negligible". 
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Combining a love of bikes (pedal and otherwise) with hiking, hounding, lapidary, and the great outdoors
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