Lapidaryforum.net
Let's Rock => Mineral Specimens => Topic started by: Cabbin Fever on May 14, 2017, 08:11:42 PM
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I am blessed to live 15 minutes from the sugary sands of the Gulf of Mexico near St Petersburg and I have discovered beauty in a beachy "beast" - agatized shell conglomerates (near as I can tell, that is what they are called), and fossilized clam and oyster shells. I drive my husband nuts picking up these ugly rocks and shells, but he too is surprised by the "reveal" when these are polished. I like to leave a few raw spots on them for texture.
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Wonderful ! Good hunting.
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Very nice! Thanks for sharing.
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They call the material "Coquina", the common name for the shell conglomerate, often a type of limestone sedimentary formation with the shells. Very pretty work there I love the large one, it has some great patterns going on.
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Nice work! I have found similar material by Pt Mugo, CA
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And in San Carlos area of Sonora (near Guaymas) where pink and maroon rhyolites get incorporated as well. Neat.
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very nice
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I am blessed to live 15 minutes from the sugary sands of the Gulf of Mexico near St Petersburg and I have discovered beauty in a beachy "beast" - agatized shell conglomerates (near as I can tell, that is what they are called), and fossilized clam and oyster shells. I drive my husband nuts picking up these ugly rocks and shells, but he too is surprised by the "reveal" when these are polished. I like to leave a few raw spots on them for texture.
This is an old post - but then I'm new here .
I wondered what you use to polish the limestone/shell conglomerates ?
Thanks,
Patty
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They can be polished in vibratory tumblers, or worked on a standard array of lapidary wheels. They may be somewhat softer than material you are used to so they go fast. They can be lovely.
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Thank you - I will carefully give it a try .
I would have thought that the limestone was too soft to polish.
We find many such things here, on the rivers, with fossil shell inclusions.
Patty