Lapidaryforum.net
Rock Art => Cabochons, Intarsias, Cameos => Topic started by: Talusman on July 24, 2016, 08:45:47 AM
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Cut this yesterday. Very rewarding material to work with - soft (4.5-5) and very solid so goes fast and smooth. Takes an easy polish, too. A local gem variety of antigorite first described at Wood's Chrome Mine (state line pit) in the State Line Chromite district in PA. I believe it's only found in that area and is scarce today as access to the couple of quarries where it is occasionally encountered are closed to collecting.
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thats neat looking stuff. too bad its so soft though, like opals i tend to stay away from them nowdays, i always ruin soft stones.
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Yes it does need to be protected from harder stones and sand, etc. A good stone for pendants/earrings but not a ring stone. If it was harder it would be Jade, and jade that looks like this is way too expensive! :)
The nice part about softer stones is they work up quick. I cut this freehand in about 20 minutes. No dop and scratches come out so easily.
-Jeremy
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Wow! That is just beautiful. I love the shape of it, too. It's going to make an excellent pendant stone. :headbang:
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Beautiful looking stone. I certainly would love to work some.
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Nice gem. I haven't seen this in a translucent type before so very interesting. There is also an opaque Williamsite from Utah. (I have a lab report) It's lime green with black inclusions that are chromite octahedra.
(http://www.zbestvalue.com/images/IMG_6356.jpg)