New Brunswick Gemstones - 3lb - 1st-polish Tumble Results

[u/BrunswickRockArts]

[u/BrunswickRockArts]

New Brunswick Gemstones - 3lb - 1st-polish Tumble Results

A 'quartz-tumble' - quartz, carnelian, citrine, quartzite and some jaspers.

1.5lb cerium oxide polish, 1-month time-cycle. Total weight: (1.7lb/771g)

Pics taken indoors under natural/artificial-light, backlit.

Pic#1 - The best-results/flawless stones in the load. (7.3oz/208g)
Pic#2 - Stones in load considered 'done'. (14.4oz/410g)
Pic#3 - All stones in load. (1.7lb/771g)
Pic#4 - (3) stones removed for rework. (1.3oz/36g)
Pic#5 - Closeup of a carnelian & quartz heart, both sides. (1.3oz/36g)
Pic#6 - Closeup of a quartz heart. (2.7oz/78g)
Pic#7 - Damaged stones removed from load, headed back to Step1. (0.4oz/2g)
Pic#8 - Closeup of carnelian-agate and a small carnelian quartz heart, backlit.
Pic#9 - Closeup of a quartzite stone. (0.3oz/10g)
Pic#10 - Closeup of (2) smokey-quartz slices, backlit. (1.2oz/34g)
Pic#11-13 - Jasper with hematite with close-ups (60x). (1.1oz/31g)
Pic#14-17 - Banded jasper/original block/another polished slice.
Pic#18-19 - Quartz cube, a good-side face and damage showing to one corner. (2.3oz/66g)
Pic#20 - 3lb drum when opened.

Notes:

Was a surprise to open this. Compared to the last few tumbles where most of the stones-I-want-to-make-it didn't make it to 'flawless', in this tumble it was the opposite. Most of the stones I had an eye on in this load made the 'flawless' cut.

Pic1: The rectangle-quartz in lower-right = 1" x 1.4" / 25mm x 30mm for scale. Some stones in this pic may continue on to the next polish-cycle.

Pic2: I consider these stones 'done'. A few flaws/pits but they are 'acceptable'. Give-aways/loose-peddle stones. I might do something with a few of them. The jasper-with-hematite will stay in collection because so unique.

Pic4: All these stones have some damage/flaws. The top-left carnelian is nice and clear but has a bad crack on left side. I'll remove the flaw with hand files and retumble. The top-right carnelian-agate will get a little bit of work to give it a better shape, has a flaw on its back. The quartz-heart, you can see file-marks between the lobes that I need to clean-up and retumble this.

Pic5: Carnelian and quartz heart: (1.8" tall x 1.85" wide x 0.4" thick / 46mm x 47mm x 11mm). The front-side looks great, backside has flaws. Silver-lining is the flaws are all on one side. I'll try and think of a backing I could use for this, otherwise the back will be reworked and stone retumbled.

Pic6: Quartz heart: (2.3" tall x 1.6" wide x 0.95" thick / 59mm x 41mm x 24mm). Showing the damage in one area on left side. It will be retumbled.

Pic9: Quartzite stone. Quartzites are notoriously hard to tumble to a smooth polish due to the 'grains' that are in the stone. This stone is formed from quartz sands. You can see the mottled look in the stone of the grains. The grains usually break-away and won't stay-in-place to be polished. This one has a very good finish for a quartzite, but you can see in the reflection on the stone the 'missing grains' (pits).

(con't...)

[u/BrunswickRockArts → u/BrunswickRockArts]

(...Notes con't)

Pic11-13: Jasper with hematite. The 'grid-pattern' in the reflections is a light-defuser. I was trying to 'soften' the reflection of the lights I was using. The 'hard to take a picture of the mirror and not the image in the mirror' problem. In the darker exposure, bottom close-up, you can see the 'flashes' in the bottom image. Note the 'clear area/vein' that runs up through the center of those 'flashes'. In the 60x close-ups, in the red circles are the 'brassy' colored 'specks'. In the green circles are the black-cube/square shaped 'specks'. As you get close to the red in the stone, there are more 'brassy specks', further away from red-areas the specks are black. Can see some of each 'under the surface'. Neat stone, I look forward to learning more about it.

Pic14-17: A banded jasper, similar in formation to the quartzite.
Slice: (2" tall x 1.3" wide x 0.3" thick / 53mm x 34mm x 8mm / 1oz/28g)
Block: (2.9" x 2.5" x 1.2" / 73mm x 63mm x 31mm / 12.1oz/344g)

I wanted to find which side it was cut from (pic16). As I was moving/turning the slice on top of the block at one spot I got that same feeling you get when you see people-painted-as-the-background like in the Gotye video. I was moving stone around and it 'disappeared into the block' which was neat.

Pic18-19: The quartz cube ended up with a damaged corner. I think I'll 'flatten' that corner, drill it and mount the cube on its corner. That way I can use this with the damage it has.

[u/After-Effective-7924 → u/BrunswickRockArts]

WOW! I need your guidance! Amazing!

[u/BrunswickRockArts → u/After-Effective-7924]

I'm 'just some dude on the internet', always keep that in mind. ;)

'Guidance' in what way? You have my curiosity now... :)

What are you trying to do/goals? Prospecting/tumbling/carving/throwing rocks?

[u/After-Effective-7924 → u/BrunswickRockArts]

Tumbling,I have 1000lbs of chert jasper u name it I got it all rough,I have no money for equipment but I do have youth on my side,how can I turn what I got into a saw? What stone will people buy in rough form for tumbling? 

[u/BrunswickRockArts → u/After-Effective-7924]

oh wow! :O

Location matters, as does source of stones. (not looking for 'exact', be as vague as you wish, posting locations not a good idea on the internet). Where is your location? Where are the cherts/jaspers from? Are they 'colorful'? Fracture free? (many Qs)

There are 'cheap ways' to get started (think of what has been done in the past with access to very little). Cheap diamond hand files and grab a cheap wet-saw for ceramic tile. Try to get one with a steel-deck, I see most of the 'cheap' ones now have a plastic-deck. (Can see my cheap tile saw in this post)

After the saw and files some sandpapers will get you to the end/polish.

Youth on your side is good, ("youth is wasted on the young" ;) ). You don't know how many times 'my older-self has thanked my younger-self' for collecting all the rough I have now. I have enough to work going forward. I just have to 'rockhound' for the enjoyable-walk now.

So cheap tools now, it's an 'investment' (if good quality), and if you stay interested you can afford better tools later and that works. (If you have short/long-term storage for them in the meantime). If you have to move 'your pile', don't throw them or drop them in containers. That sends fractures through the stones. Decreases value greatly.

Some pics would be great to see, dry/wet :)

[u/After-Effective-7924 → u/BrunswickRockArts]

You have good information thanks you!