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[irockhound]

I finished just a few today.  First is for Jhon's viewing this is an unusual material for cabbing and I thought this would make an awesome Sphere, material is Ilmenite which is a Titanium Iron.  The material has a unique look due to the titanium needles and patches which contrast with the gray of the iron, the dark spots in this photo are Titanium and look like a mirror.  The location is about an hour and a half away and very sizeable pieces can be had.  I only took the stone to 1200 on the wheels.  The other cabs are a Mexican with orbs, Arizona Wood, Edison Palm Root from the Bakersfield area and last a cab with natural edge of Walker Ranch Plume agate.

[Gergis]

Oohh man those are are super!

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[ToTheSummit]

Very nice cabs all!  It would be tough to pick a favorite from those.

[Phishisgroovin]

that mexican agate is the shizz. i want some now lol

[hummingbirdstones]

Beauties - all of them!   

I'm really loving the Ilmenite.

[gemfeller]

If I have to pick a favorite it's the plume. 

The ilmenite's interesting.  As a bit of trivia the Mesoamericans were nuts about mirrors, the Olmecs especially. Ilmenite was one of their favorite mirror-making materials along with hematite, obsidian and a few other shiny minerals.  What I find fascinating is that they understood the optics of concave mirrors like the one here:

[Ranger_Dave]

Those are nice. I love that natural edge on the plume agate.

[lithicbeads]

 Great post.

[Jhon P]

the Ilmenite should make a great sphere. it looks metallic in the picture? How hard is it?  will it turn the saw oil into a black mess?
can you get big pieces that will cut a 6" cube? it takes a big rock like maybe 60lbs. 
 I may have to make a trip down south its been a year since I went that direction.
 

[irockhound]

The material up there is huge and I think you could probably find a 5 or 6" sphere piece, there is a lot there.  This is also the location I told you about where I got the Purple Feldspar and Actinolite that I made that sphere out of I posted.  If I end up up that way with some time on my hands I will take a run up the mountain and see what I can find.  As for the hardness it cuts really fast on diamond wheels as most native irons do and yes it makes a black mess.  I was pulling uneven spots out with the 600 wheel.  This Ilmenite was also the material that had the high Gold content, but still haven't looked for that assay report.