What about materials with a metallic appearance ?

[Jeff U]

I will post a picture of the back of that cab, but it is definately rhodacrosite!    As Im mentioned I like to cut the"rind" if you will of the blacks I get as well as the gemmy stuff in the middle. I get some amazing cabs from there, mixes of color and opacity that are more interesting than the stones normal look...
Jeff

[Taogem]

While cabbing this plume, the black plume I think is copper? Where the black plume hits the surface of the cab it shines the color of copper.

You can barley see the glitter spots if you look closely..

Anyone know for sure?

[Seth]

I have a crap load of this material from the Graveyard area. The only metal that I know that is in it is marcasite.

[stoneviews]

Pyrite  has been in Graveyard plume at times, and will give off  small flashes.

[Taogem]

Pyrite  has been in Graveyard plume at times, and will give off  small flashes.

It is not like flecks of anything.. I can actually see where the dark plume hits the surface of the cab. Those are the spots that polish a metallic shine.

The few cabs I have done with the Marcasite in them seem to polish with a silver appearance.. This sure looks a copper color..

[Mark]

I have a Jasper from Australia that has Pyrite flakes and small chunks in it.  They can be bronze, copper, gold, silver, metallic green, and gray colored.  Pyrite can appear similar to many different metals and often has metallic impurities like Gold, Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, and Zinc. 

This weekend, I was using my new Cerium Oxide and polishing pad on one of my cabs that I entered into one of the recent cab contests.  It was a chrysocolla and azurite mix.  After the new polishing with the Cerium Oxide, the finish came out much nicer and shinier and I noticed small silver colored metallic flakes in it.  Never noticed them before.  I also recently finished an Ocean Jasper cab that has some small metallic areas in it, I would guess something like Marcasite.  Mark

[mirkaba]

One of my prospecting buddies brought down some jasper this weekend. It looks amazingly like Stone Canyon. He says that in places it runs as high as 4 oz.s per ton in gold...........Hmmm I will go get some more Chryscolla with gold this week. It works up Like a dream........Bob

[Mark]

Hey Bob, do you have any pics of the Chrys or Stone Canyon?  Is the Chrys with gold coming from your mining?  I was wondering if the Chrys with gold you have, looks anything like the Chrys that I have that supposedly has gold in it?  Mark

[mirkaba]

Sorry no pictures. But I will get up and get some more material this week. It sells and I always figure I will go get some more and don't make it back. It probably doesn't look like yours though as it has small flecks of visible gold scattered throughout the ore. I have never seen any other like it. As for the Stone canyon type........I will get a picture but there is no visible gold..........Bob

Heres a piece of high grade with the copper and some iron. But it is not the quality cutting stuff and worth more as a specimen. It has about 3 grams of gold showing......



Or how about this one!  Not much quartz in it either. 

[Mark]

Marcasite can be electroplated, right, to give you a really super silver color.  Or is that another mineral.  No, I believe that is right.  Anyone out there familiar with the process?  Mark

[Taogem]

Seems like the Marcasite would have to be touching through out the piece. Otherwise if the electrodes are attached, how would the current be conductive through the stone.

Hmmm.....

[Taogem]

Seth, I sure do like the Graveyard with Marcasite plumes ! Actually, all of the colors through out the slab are really nice !

Are you going to add some of this and or the Chrysocolla to your site?

[Mark]

I looked up electroplating and yes Marcasite is electroplated.  The pieces I have seen usually had a lot of Marcasite on the surface, kinda like my Chromium Serpentine.  Could probably electroplate that to.  Mark

[Seth]

Tao, none will end up on the site. I may put a cut one there. I really don't keep up with the site that much. I normally just sell custom cabs of the good stuff. I have found as soon as I cut one shape someone wants another. Most of my customers just call me to get stuff. They know I have much more than the site shows. I am probably going to trade some off.

[Seth]

The last of the chrysocolla with silver came in today. Took a few pictures of pieces that the white crust areas fell off that had some color. The first picture shows an island of solid metal coming out of the color. You can see the scratch mark I made with a knife in it. This stuff is crazy looking and very heavy. Should make some nice cabs.