Buying The "Yard" Sale

[StoneWhisper]

This morning before we got started working on the Jeep.. (had a few things I needed to take care of, Like sell our back seat and the seat belts) Our community was having it's bi-yearly yard sale and we would walk the neighborhood.

I'm sure most of you are aware of what many of these items are laying in the yard for sale.. heres a hint.. kids items.. and would simply bypass that yard.. But we didn't. "Hun, look at that" I pointed to a rock formation, where the owner had taken stones he had collected from road sides etc.. But this one stone was sticking out like a sore thumb and already had a slab cut side..

I asked him how much for the stone, at first he didn't hear me.. and said he didn't have an stone's CD's.. I'm like "No.. that stone on the pile over by your koi pond".. "ole that old pice of meat?" he said.. even looked like a marbled piece of meat.. "I found that while mountain biking down a near by trail".. (Odd cause it had a slab cut side and I really don't think anyone would just throw this stone away and I have a feeling he wasn't willing to tell me more about it. Maybe this was one of his failed attempts to cut and polish a stone. who knows)

"hum, I'll let you have it" I said "No I'll pay you something for it".. "Ok.. make me an offer".. I handed him a $5 dollar bill.. "Done" he said.. and here is what I came away with..

Image Above: Getting the stone wet to show the deep rich color.

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It's undecided if its some sort of Agate or Carnelian.. (I'm leaning towards the Carnelian) and it does look like a piece of meat.. The other side was slab cut.. and wouldn't show very while when taking a picture. I guess if that side was polished it would have been a wonderful site to behold. So this morning.. I ended up buying some of the yard..​

 

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[RON (PA)]

I think that you got an awesome buy. Great job.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Looks glassy, can quartz scratch it? May even be opal! (hardness: 5.5 - 6.5)

 

[StoneWhisper]

@citzen.. It appears glassy cause It's wet.. scratch test, harder then Quartz.. Agate based/Chalcedony/Carnelian (No go on the opal) thou thanks for the positive outlook.

 

[Bajahunter]

If it is too hard for opal then I think your first guess of Carnelian is a good one.
Nice rock. You could make lots of semi-precious stones from that, if you are into that sort of thing.

 

[StoneWhisper]

I would love to get into this kind of hobby.. but here is what I'm willing to do.. if someone is willing to cut this up into smaller sized for tumbling.. (shapes: hexagon, squire, oval etc) I'm willing to let them have half of their cuts as payment.

 

[Eu_citzen]

I see, it wasn't drenched as it usually is on many pics. Very nice one.
Is it translucent? If not, jasper is quite likely. If yes I think your first assumption is correct.

 

[wheelerite]

Its probably opalzed wood.I have some around my house somewhere. I believe it has that color in it along with some brown and blue-grey and black and whites.Some of the neatest stuff I have seen. They also call that jelly opal I think.
ksmith