Ive found a couple of rocks like this lately and hoped for help to ID...

[ScribbleMuse]

I've found a couple of rocks like this lately and hoped for help to ID...

I've been digging through an amazing creek bed that was apparently formed from glacial edges and the stuff the glaciers dropped off. It's an amazing area for me since I'm depressed by the rest of my local landscape--being from Kentucky and moving to central Wisconsin taught me how much I dearly loved the land and history of Kentucky. Still, at least I'm around the more interesting geological parts of Central WI, so I get to see the drastic changes in the collisions of the various environments. Perhaps it's ingrained, but my favorite most local areas are the areas of Powers Bluff, and this creek is one that runs about 5-6 miles away from there. The boulders in the creek are fantastic and amazing, and you've always been able to walk up and down almost the entire creek just on the boulders in the water. This year, the drought has dried up much of it, and therefore I like thinking that I may be picking through rocks that haven't been seen or touched in centuries.

Anyway, I've found a couple of rocks lately that have amazingly clear internal structures like the ones below, which are some of my better examples. They're made of a heavy and translucent material, but there appear to be opaque ribbons that almost form cups inside the more translucent creamy rock. The ribbons LOOK like they're distinct as though they were a solid separate object and someone poured an extremely dense and hard acrylic to form the rock. They're mostly shades of orange.

This is probably just another leaverite, but thus far I find myself quite happy with chasing down whatever seems pretty to me, and usually it's worthless to the rest of the world anyway... lol I'm just having a hard time with catching up to the proper geological references and learning all the complex ways of IDing and hoped to find some answers here.

Thanks!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[rockhoundrich]

very nice rocks i would have to say agate check if there is a geological society near you maybe they have a shop great for cutting and making jewelery

 

[ScribbleMuse]

very nice rocks i would have to say agate check if there is a geological society near you maybe they have a shop great for cutting and making jewelery

lol... I was coming back to this thread to say that after a bit more research I was also thinking possible agate. I didn't think that agates generally get as large as these though? The area that I'm finding these is absolutely FULL of these, tho the more obvious ones like the ones pictured are more rare. I'm bringing home anything that catches my eye, but it takes a lot of scrubbing, soaking, and cleaning to really visualize any potential in most of them.

I sculpt in polymer and also a little in wood, and hoped to start self-teaching how to grind/carve rocks and minerals, and that's why I decided to start collecting. We're in a heavy drought situation, and that could possibly be providing opportunity to reach many of these that normally would be and hopefully will be eventually covered again with moving water.

Here are some more closeups of the ones posted above and also a few more that are different colors:

 

[rockhoundrich]

very nice finds i sculpt in rock lol but i tend to stick with the softer ones mostly calcitic onyx marble travertine and i just got some indian paint rock that ive been slabing at 3/4 inch i hope i will be working those starting tonight or tomorrow good luck in your work its a fun and often fustrating hobby

 

[ScribbleMuse]

Thanks! I've never really worked with stone materials at all. I'd like to find some soapstone I think; I love the sculptures I've found in Oriental antiques and have read up on it to see it's considered "soft" for sculpting and therefore potentially good for beginners. Especially since I hope to do quite a lot by hand/dremel rather than the larger saws and such that seems to be required in the admittedly low levels of research.

I'm thinking I'm going to begin trying to clean these and a few others up to get a better feel for different stones and learn what works and doesn't.

 

[Eu_citzen]

It looks quite nice, I think we have some members of the chalcedony members here.

You might want to look up Jasper, agate and chert.

 

[GatorBoy]

I agree with the last post and would like to add.. I belive you have lithic debris from the manufacture of stone tools. If you start looking closely in that area for arrowheads and chipped stone tools I bet you can find some great stuff. Also if you post this in Indian artifacts you will get a lot of help

 

[ScribbleMuse]

I agree with the last post and would like to add.. I belive you have lithic debris from the manufacture of stone tools. If you start looking closely in that area for arrowheads and chipped stone tools I bet you can find some great stuff. Also if you post this in Indian artifacts you will get a lot of help

Thanks GatorBoy... I'm doing some location-centered research but was wondering if there was one of the photos that made you think of it? I'm from Kentucky originally and grew up on a farm that was absolutely rich with fossils, Civil War stuff, and Native American artifacts--everyone I ever knew had at least once stumbled across an arrowhead, and they were a common collection for many people. I used to escape the crazy life I was living (definitely did not resemble any bunch of Bradys!) by spending days at a time all by myself in the "wild," and it probably led to the crazy mix of interests that I am now.

However, now living in WI makes me feel sometimes like I'm in the desert after living in the lushest jungles; the history seems so small compared to the south, and even geologic fascination isn't fed very well in the central areas of the state, EXCEPT for the areas where I'm finding these rocks and the landscape there is the result of the glacial till/edges. Lucky for me that I do live right on that edge, because o/w I think I'd go slowly nuts with all this flat and boring nothing!

I am learning more about the histories of the Native Americans from this area, since IMO I feel that the modern history of the state is not much more than a toddler compared to the histories I grew up with and within. When I'm walking along the area I found this, I've actually had to concentrate on NOT stopping for all the shapes that catch my eye in the rocks because there simply can't be that many tools just laying around. Maybe I will give another look after educating myself a bit more.

 

[GatorBoy]

Awesome reply! Wow.. you sound like a female version of me. Bet we could hang out.. LOL. I have spent a lot of time studying and hunting artifacts. What caught my eye at first.... was your photo..he he...just kidding. Kinda..I'm familiar with the material and know it was used in your area.also it appeared to have unnatural break patern. You are also hunting in a perfect spot to find them.introduce yourself in the artifacts forum.you will probably get some good info or at least see some stuff from your area. Message me anytime...ok

 

[ScribbleMuse]

Awesome reply! Wow.. you sound like a female version of me. Bet we could hang out.. LOL. I have spent a lot of time studying and hunting artifacts. What caught my eye at first.... was your photo..he he...just kidding. Kinda..I'm familiar with the material and know it was used in your area.also it appeared to have unnatural break patern. You are also hunting in a perfect spot to find them.introduce yourself in the artifacts forum.you will probably get some good info or at least see some stuff from your area. Message me anytime...ok

Both info and compliments are much appreciated, so thanks!

I plan/hope to go back out to the same area tomorrow and will take some general pictures of the area and the "rock piles" that catch my eye, just because I've been thinking I'd like to share for the general analysis that they may create around here. I am definitely no expert on this area (or actually no expert on ANY area, just more familiar with some), but I haven't seen the same features anywhere else around here.

I'll head over to the artifacts forum as well in between and maybe learn a little more on what to look for outside of the most obvious arrowheads.

*******
Does anyone have any good links on amateur polishing/prepping/carving of agates? I'd love to really try to do something with these and others I have collected but I don't want to ruin them. I'm using some that seem "lesser" quality to play with using diamond tips on dremel, but I'm thinking I'll need to figure out where to access a rock saw in order to really get my feet wet for anything too complicated. I realize the rock saw would be the easiest solution but unfortunately I have a natural impatience that does not mix well with financial restraint! lol

 

[Rattlehead]

Those are great finds. A couple of those would probably make great spheres.

 

[ScribbleMuse]

Those are great finds. A couple of those would probably make great spheres.

I've followed some of your post links to the spheres you make, which were the first time I'd heard of sphere making. I'm sure there are much better technical terms but I think of it now as a "subsection" of lapidary focus? You have some beautiful work! In my struggles to figure out alternatives to standard technique until I can afford the correct equipment, I've been trying to learn the possibilities of working the specimens, and spheres seem to be such a gorgeous showcase of the properties within. Definitely an area that will have to wait till I get the equipment, since I cannot see any way to get past the essential need of it.

 

[Rattlehead]

its a money pit, for sure. But I do like to do it, and I can sell a couple spheres now and again to help cover the costs of equipment. If you ever decide to get into something like that, I'd be happy to answer questions if I can.

 

[rock]

Nice colors on those rocks! I wonder what they would look like if you put them in a tumbler?

 

[StoneWhisper]

Great shots.. Fire Agate, is but one of the great images posted.. I know of a woman who lives in Scotland near the shore and can simply walk out on the beach and find many forms of rocks like you've psoted above.. A few ****ers but mostly Agates..

Gl with the finds and adventures.