Just a regular rock?

treasuresalvor

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Mar 14, 2011
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Found on a river bank but doesn't look like any river rock around here. Looks like little rocks imbedded in the holes. ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486047909.688129.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486047933.518538.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486047956.387835.jpg
 

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treasuresalvor

treasuresalvor

Sr. Member
Mar 14, 2011
260
304
Earth
Detector(s) used
A couple Sovereign's, Excalibur II, Eureka Gold, Falcon MD20, TM808, Sierra Madre, 5900 DIProsl, Garrett ADS III with Bloodhound, Fisher 1280x, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486048022.620121.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486048053.237094.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486048078.153996.jpg ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1486048099.004409.jpg
 

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Bernitup

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Dec 8, 2016
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I believe you may have an agate...a form of quartz, sometimes referred to as chalcedony. It's hard to tell with my phone, but I can see what looks like banding in the last row of pics... What is the approximate size and weight? Looks like a nice find that I would keep!
 

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DDancer

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Mar 25, 2014
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I agree it appears to be an agate. If you can find someone to cut it in half you may also have a geode. Looks like it'll be a gem though. Nice find. The little rocks are a combination of nodules and flake outs of the agate.
 

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treasuresalvor

treasuresalvor

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Mar 14, 2011
260
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A couple Sovereign's, Excalibur II, Eureka Gold, Falcon MD20, TM808, Sierra Madre, 5900 DIProsl, Garrett ADS III with Bloodhound, Fisher 1280x, Equinox 800
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Cool, thanks guys. It's about the size of a big plum or small orange and weighs 11.6 oz not troy.
 

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EricTheCat

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Oct 4, 2011
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Very nice agate. Congrats. Are you anywhere around MN/WI? If so, I would call it a lake superior agate and a really nice size for one. I have collected thousands of agates and only have one banded agate that is maybe just a hair larger than that (12 oz).

Another alternative to cutting it might be to treat it in mineral oil. It helps bring out the details similar to how it might look when wet. The process I use which seems to work well is I immerse agates in mineral oil and let them soak for about an hour, then I put them under a warm light for about an hour to heat them up, then I wipe the oil off as well as I can. After doing that I find they look best after sitting for about a day (sometimes at first they seem almost too shiny).
 

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treasuresalvor

treasuresalvor

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Mar 14, 2011
260
304
Earth
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A couple Sovereign's, Excalibur II, Eureka Gold, Falcon MD20, TM808, Sierra Madre, 5900 DIProsl, Garrett ADS III with Bloodhound, Fisher 1280x, Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Very nice agate. Congrats. Are you anywhere around MN/WI? If so, I would call it a lake superior agate and a really nice size for one. I have collected thousands of agates and only have one banded agate that is maybe just a hair larger than that (12 oz).

Another alternative to cutting it might be to treat it in mineral oil. It helps bring out the details similar to how it might look when wet. The process I use which seems to work well is I immerse agates in mineral oil and let them soak for about an hour, then I put them under a warm light for about an hour to heat them up, then I wipe the oil off as well as I can. After doing that I find they look best after sitting for about a day (sometimes at first they seem almost too shiny).


It was found just a little south of the Minnesota/Iowa border. Lake Park Iowa area. I won't cut it, it's just sitting on the shelf.
 

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IAMZIM

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Apr 23, 2011
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I do what EricTheCat does and rub a little mineral oil on my agates, not just my Lake Superior ones, but also the ones I have found in Montana, it brings out alot of detail and helps show the transparency that the agate can have! That looks like a very nice agate you have!
 

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