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Author Topic: Baxter Blue chalcedony  (Read 6255 times)

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Amethyst Rose

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Baxter Blue chalcedony
« on: September 22, 2016, 01:27:40 PM »
At the Denver Show, my wife and I were able to pick up over 100 grams of a new find of blue chalcedony from California.  Kevin Kessler with Stellar Lubricants has the claim and they trim and tumble the rough to get as clean of pieces as possible.  So far we have not had any fading of color from sun exposure or from the material being cut thinner.  Hope this continues to be the case.

Bob Johannes
The Amethyst Rose
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Amethyst Rose

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2016, 01:35:40 PM »
This is a faceted stone of the Baxter also from Stellar Lubricants and wire wrapped by my wife of sterling silver.  Stone is 11.25 carats.

Bob Johannes
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Ken S.

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2016, 06:33:07 PM »
Beautiful...both the stone and your wife's wrapping. :drool: :drool:

Ken S.
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gemfeller

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2016, 06:45:29 PM »
Yummy!  I'll have a big helping of that.  That's really an intense blue and it's interesting to know it holds color well when cut thinner.  Tell your better half "great job" on the wrap.
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Phishisgroovin

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2016, 03:25:02 AM »
Quote from: Ken S. on September 22, 2016, 06:33:07 PM
Beautiful...both the stone and your wife's wrapping. :drool: :drool:

Ken S.
I was just going to post the exact reply.
Im not a wire wrapping fan, but this is beautiful workmanship.
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finegemdesigns

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2016, 10:26:06 AM »
Nice but looks more violet than blue on my monitor. But the namibian blue chalcedony is also violet and not blue.

Either I'm color blind or the market likes the color blue more than violet.
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gemfeller

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2016, 11:07:34 AM »
After checking my color charts (GemDialogue) I'd call it a strongly purplish blue.  The only chalcedony I know of that's really blue is the sky blue material from Malawi and some of the prime material from Turkey.  Most of the Turkish stone has  strong gray secondary hue I don't much like. 
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rocks2dust

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2016, 11:51:34 AM »
Interesting color. That name doesn't yet appear in any of the 'net searches I just did - was wondering if they told you whether they had tested to determine what causes the color? Will also be curious whether it holds its color - I've seen similar color in some Oregon and Nevada material that faded away when left in sunlight. Hope we get to see more of this regardless.
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finegemdesigns

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2016, 01:12:55 PM »
The only violet agates/chalcedonies I can remember from the United States SW are the Mojave Blue (CA), Needles Blue (CA) and the Mt. Airy Blue Agate from Austin NV.

Sample page shows some of what appears to be lower grade Mt.Airy:

http://dirtyrockhounds.proboards.com/thread/9734/mt-airy-blue-nevada

As I remember from the 80's the best grades were almost comparable to high end Namibian Blue.

(Again all these "blue" agates/chalcedonies are actually violet in color.)

The photo of Baxter looks amazing and would be interesting to cut and polish.
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Amethyst Rose

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2016, 01:36:46 PM »
This material is new which why few searches will find anything.  As far as I know, no testing has been done to determine the chromophore as of yet.

The material, according the Kevin Kessler, the claim owner and miner, dies not fade in sunlight.  I have yet to test this but he has the rough in the Colorado sun at 8300 feet and it didn't fade after a week of that.  This material is the best grade of the Baxter.  There are two lighter grades of material as well.  The majority of the material is lighter and is definitely blue and not violet in color.   I'll be trimming up my pieces this afternoon and will try to get 1 or more pieces finished as well this weekend.

Bob Johannes
The Amethyst Rose
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southerly

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2016, 02:51:15 PM »
Wow, did not see any of that as I wandered around Devner, but then plenty I did not see, even shows I did not get too. Looks like fabulous material. Nice cutting and wrapping too.
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Amethyst Rose

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2016, 07:03:37 PM »
Kevin had this outdoors the Coliseum show and at the Contintail show in Buena Vista in August.
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olgguy

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2016, 11:33:36 AM »
Amethyst Rose, did you get an address for Kevin or Steller Lubricants?
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Amethyst Rose

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2016, 01:48:30 PM »
I have been in contact with Kevin thru Facebook.  They have a page under Stellar Lubricants.  I don't have any other contact info for them.  did get three pieces cut but no photos yet


Bob Johannes
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Amethyst Rose

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Re: Baxter Blue chalcedony
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2016, 03:21:21 PM »
Three cabs from the Baxter Blue.  The larger oval is only 3mm thick and there is faint banding showing in this pieve

Bob Johannes
The Amethyst Rose
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