| jay bates |
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| #16 |
Hi Wayne, If that stone cuts better than a carat clean, the going rate is more like $2000. My wife most likely will have another piece of benitoite jewelry to add to her growing collection. It is already at my cutters, but I have a long wait, it seems some other jokers are in line ahead of me.  Oh well, it is just a glorious hobby for me, not to pay for the groceries. I think on a bright sunny day, using the sapphire screening method works best. On a cloudy day no question blacklight is the way to go. |
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| wschrimp |
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| #17 |
Hi Jay. Your wife is a lucky gal. I just had to make the offer. When I have them, I have always sold my clean 1 carat stones for $2500, but lately I have seen very clean one carat stones sell for $3000. Hey, by the way I think I am one of those Jokers you mentioned if you are talking about Harry. . I gave him some rough Saturday night before he went down to camp with everyone. Anyway, you are right, it is great fun and I do hope the California Federation will contact Dave for a field trip. As you said, it only make sense that they would want to do a field trip for benitoite, the state gemstone and their organizations symbol. Wayne |
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| jay bates |
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| #18 |
Hi Wayne, yeah I knew who I was referring to as a joker,lol. The way the price of clean benitoite gemstones over a carat has risen lately, I cannot believe the California Federation has not scheduled a trip to Road Camp yet. I did send them an email. |
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| jay bates | |
| John Cornish |
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| #20 |
Hi Jay,
I'm late on this thread, but I wanted to thank you for sharing your adventure and your treasures with us. Many of your specimens look really neat and its easy to see that you had a good time while away! Keep up the good work and getting out, I'm looking forward to your next report! Thanks Jay. All the very best,
John |
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| Lee Bates |
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| #21 |
Jay
I always wondered where you got the yapping at me around camp. You learned it from the coyotees. I live in Ellensburg Washington near the diatomatceous pits where you find some of the Common Opal mentioned. I have been told by an expert that this material is only good for cutting and polishing if it is translucent like agate. The only translucent Common Opal I have seen is about the 2000 foot elevation in the Kittitas Valley. Is is usually red,yellow and green and you can see down into it. I think the rest of the Common Opal is too brittle to make into any thing.
Your brother
Lee |
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| John Cornish |
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| #22 |
Hi Lee,
A couple of comments regarding your local opal. From my experience, the golds, creams and yellows are the most stable colors. Opal that is green and red seems to break down much more readily than these other colors.
The pits are a blast to collect when opal wood is available, just back the truck up and throw 'er in. We'd often bring 5 gallon buckets full of water to cursory wash our pieces, checking for color.
All the very best!
John |
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| jay bates |
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| #23 |
Lee, the Gem Mine/Road Camp pictures 9,10,11, and 18 are of my finds and son Jason. For the record the sphere I made was of green opal, not the best of material. Lee if you get some good opal material bring it along on our next trip and I can make us some spheres. Lee, yapping at you is like vacating your bladder into the teeth of a real Wyoming blizzard. I would rather yap at the coyotees, at least they respond. |
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| jay bates |
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| #24 |
My benitoite stone is finished.  It cut just barely over a 1 carat 5x7 mm oval. One slight flaw. I am planning on going back down to the Road Camp again this Sunday and try and find its mate. Wish me luck!  |
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| donna nolte |
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| #25 |
Wow! Gemstone find! Have fun and wishing you luck this weekend for some of the most beautiful material in the world. Glad you are determined as it sure is paying off for you Jay. Chance of a lifetime......go man go! |
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| Wayne Schrimp |
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| #26 |
Hi Jay. I knew that piece of rough would yield a nice stone for you. If you can, you should bring it to show Dave when you go.
I hear last weekend, David F. found and amazing boulder with a bunch of unbelieveable crystals on it. Some great stuff being found lately from these 10 new piles. Good luck on your hunt and I hope you find more than it's mate! Wayne |
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| jay bates |
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| #27 |
Hi Wayne, I will bring the latest gemstone tomorrow. I hope to see that boulder you mentioned, I had heard about it. If anyone is interested they can see the latest one carat gemstone at my Facebook site. Click on the picture of the rough and "next" to see a couple pictures of the final gemstone. Sorry for the poor picture quality.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000030022197 |
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| Gemhunter |
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| #28 |
Hi Jay,
Once you accept me as a friend I can see it. WOW a cart gem I can't wait to see it.
KOR Carl in WI still fighting MRSA |
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| gemdragon |
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| #29 |
Hi Jay
Thanks for your report and all the pictures! Congrats especially on your big beautiful Benitoite...How many have you had faceted by now? Must be a Great collection since you LOVE collecting it and get yourself out there!  Your wife gets the Calif Crown jewels! How neat! 
I never did a report for Juntura Oregon but I may do a retro some day. We did coyote talking there and it was so funny! A den of pups was yipping and howing and we mimicked them.So they talked to us for a couple of minutes and we just couldn't believe it, then a 'bark-howl" ruckus happened and silence. We KNEW mom had come home and given them hell for talking to humans! Ahhhhhh,the benefits of rock hounding!
KOR! Rhonda |
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| Wayne Schrimp |
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| #30 |
Hi Jay. How did your benitoite hunt go this weekend? That faceted stone looks nice, the flaw that you mentioned, did harry keep it to the side? Hope you did well. |
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