Camping Trip: OPALS!!!!!

[BurntBear]

We discovered opals on our recent camping trip. Here is a photo of one specimen; mainly beautiful lavenders and yellows.
We found bags and bags of opals! One of the bags ripped open on the way home and there were hundreds of opals floating around the back of the van....never thought I'd have THAT problem!

Specimen below is Approx. 1,500 ct.

 

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[EagleDown]

Excuse me for asking; but since opals are what I work with, (cutting, shaping and polishing), I feel the need to ask: Do you intend to sell any of them? I've just about run out, and after getting screwed on an ebay purchase, I no longer trust opal sellers there. Since I have to exist on a meager Social Security check, I can't afford a lot of being screwed. (lol)

Great find(s). Sure wish it had been me. (lol)

 

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[procali]

I dont want to rain on your parade, but that 20 lb specimen looks like plain old quartz, dis you do a specific gravity test to come to the conclusion of opals, anyways if those are opals i have a place where you can fill dump,trucks with rocks like the 20 pound specimen, still nice finds. GL and HH.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Those are really nice opals, I 've always wanted to do some gem stone hunting but I wouldn't have the first clue what to look for and would pass up on anything that didn't look like a cut and polished stone. Thanks for showing them and I hope they are worth a bucket load of dallors for you.
ZDD

 

[BurntBear]

I dont want to rain on your parade, but that 20 lb specimen looks like plain old quartz, dis you do a specific gravity test to come to the conclusion of opals, anyways if those are opals i have a place where you can fill dump,trucks with rocks like the 20 pound specimen, still nice finds. GL and HH.

Sorry you can't see in the picture, but it is a huge chunk of petrified wood that has opalized. In fact, there is very little wood left. You can faintly see some of the individual growth rings that opalized in different shades of magenta/pink.

 

[BurntBear]

Excuse me for asking; but since opals are what I work with, (cutting, shaping and polishing), I feel the need to ask: Do you intend to sell any of them? I've just about run out, and after getting screwed on an ebay purchase, I no longer trust opal sellers there. Since I have to exist on a meager Social Security check, I can't afford a lot of being screwed. (lol)

Great find(s). Sure wish it had been me. (lol)

Hey Eagle, shoot me a PM and we'll talk!

 

[W6PEA]

Nice pictures

 

[housemom6]

Gorgeous. Are you in the US or Australia or elsewhere? Opals are my favorite stone

 

[BurntBear]

Gorgeous. Are you in the US or Australia or elsewhere? Opals are my favorite stone

U.S.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I dont want to rain on your parade, but that 20 lb specimen looks like plain old quartz, dis you do a specific gravity test to come to the conclusion of opals, anyways if those are opals i have a place where you can fill dump,trucks with rocks like the 20 pound specimen, still nice finds. GL and HH.

I know nothing about rocks, but slowly I will learn. I have a similar about 5 lb rock I found on my farm last year. I thought quartz, and posted a picture here - and it was identified as quartz.....

I'd certainly like to know more!

 

[BurntBear]

Thought I'd update this thread a bit!

The specimens my partner & I collected ended up being several different varieties of Opal. The main type we discovered were a variety of Opal called "Boulder Opal". We also found "Wood Opal", common "Milk Opal", "Crystal Opal" & opalized petrified wood. All of the specimens were mined from the Appalachian mountains and I have yet to find specimens of this variety from this area. The finds were analyzed and tested by a geologist and also tested for radiation and are not harmful like Hyalite Opal from this region. We are doing a little more research and testing and we will soon be offering specimens for sale. Thanks for looking! -Luke

 

[BurntBear]

Here are our first tumbled Opal specimens:

 

[BurntBear]

Here are close-ups of the 1,500 ct. specimen. I've been waiting to do these photos. They turned out nice, but the blue tones are actually lavender, not blue. The L.E.D. light changes it a bit.

 

[BurntBear]

Some Crystal Opal

Approx. 8 cts.


Approx. 17 cts.

 

[BurntBear]

Dry:



Wet:



Dry:



Wet:

 

[TwoRivers]

Don't know much about gems-stones.............Looks like you had a good time and some great finds!!


John in Va.

 

[BurntBear]

North Carolina Opal Specimen

 

[dig kzoo]

Those turned out great. How long did you tumble them?

 

[BurntBear]

I think we did those for about 48 hours dig kzoo.

 

[Kingclean]

Very neat stuff man. I am kind of obsessed with opal right now. I have found several places around here with common opal and some gorgeous opalized wood. Every time I find a big piece I always get it wet and look at it really closely hoping to find some precious opal on it. So far I havent. Did you scour your stuff looking for play of color on it too?