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Let's Rock => Prospecting => Topic started by: christos on March 02, 2024, 06:34:26 AM

Title: Opal discovery
Post by: christos on March 02, 2024, 06:34:26 AM

Found a creek that has water only during rainfalls  that has pebbles of red opal and white-yellow thats stained with iron i suppose dince i found some rust inside when i smashed it. both without matrix on them. is this usual? also can an opal boulder be 200kilos?

Title: Re: Opal discovery
Post by: lithicbeads on March 02, 2024, 10:14:38 AM

I have seen common opal boulders up to 7 feet across. Common opal is at times formed in huge pieces. In Washington state I have seen vertical walls of diatomaceous earth pits with solid opal over 30 feet tall and a thousand feet wide.

Title: Re: Opal discovery
Post by: christos on March 02, 2024, 04:52:16 PM

red

Title: Re: Opal discovery
Post by: christos on March 02, 2024, 04:55:41 PM

40mmx30mmx20mm

Title: Re: Opal discovery
Post by: WingnutAndAPrayer on March 02, 2024, 08:28:28 PM

That diatom opal is mighty pretty, too. Yellow and milky. Met a gentleman in Hope, ID with multiple  hunks lining his driveway, all over two ft square. Guess you gotta work at the mine to get those crumbs!

Title: Re: Opal discovery
Post by: christos on March 02, 2024, 09:35:20 PM

i have never came across an opal and want to ask how do i start working this nodule. usually i work beryls which i slice with saw or hack with hammer.