Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:52 pm Posts: 1131 Location: Central Queensland, Australia
Those agates look a fair bit like the pieces I find at Riverslea crossing on the Fitzroy river. When I start silversmithing I might set the first piece of it that I cabbed. The colour is subtle but the patterning is attractive.
my wife Angelina cabed excelent piece that Sally found (not on the photo) it needs polishing, i will post it after i will finish. I will set it into sterling silver ring for Sally.
Looks like y'all had a great time! I've been very pleased with the Montana agates I've had cut--just make sure you polish the back as thoroughly as the front to maximize that clarity (though with the diamond-in-rubber sintered laps I would guess that won't be a problem).
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm Posts: 576 Location: N Dakota
Took a scouting trip for more agates with my Father. 81 this month and still recovering from knee surgery. But the onery old fart refused to use the cane and slowly bumbled along the whole day. We couldn't access the Yellowstone river at all. It's in the middle of the June rise. The snow melt in the mountains in May reaches eastern Montana in June and slowly recedes into July. Which is why people that search the gravel bars in kayaks and boats wait until September's lower water levels. That made us look for the source instead of the placer. What we found was the agate appears to be a product of much older placer deposits as much as 200 feet above the current river channel. For anyone searching for these areas I have one simple tip. Follow a gravel truck. We found the gravel trucks working from BLM lands will lead you right to the gravel you need to find the agates in. We found a very nice spot for Timur and Angelina when they come south next time. Hopefully we will be able to join them but if not it's easy access on public BLM lands. No 4x4 required but still a remote place. We found plenty of smaller dendrite agate even amateur agate hunter like my father and I had no problems spotting. Petrified wood was plentifull as well and Jasper. A couple of larger agates were found as a bonus. So armed with a better understanding of where to look, finding new areas will be much easier. Next trip I may try the south side of the Yellowstone and look for similar areas.
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:52 pm Posts: 1131 Location: Central Queensland, Australia
Sounds like my old man - artificial hip, plates in middle back and neck, one non-functional lung but he still gets out there as long as someone is with him. He even survived bouncing down a mountainside and landing on boulders while digging topaz.
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm Posts: 576 Location: N Dakota
I think Timur may have it right. Guide some tourist into the spot they will pick up the clean pretty agate that isnt worth as much and that will leave the bigger dark pieces the cutter likes behind. certainly cut down on the amount of material to look through. Still, being an amateur at agates I brought home more than a few leaverites. Sally's rock garden grows with every trip. We did manage a few with very nice dendrite flowers and moss. If I could just find some big enough to make coffee cup coasters. Put a felt backing so I dont scratch up the table. Keeps me looking! Not really the gems I want to be looking for but supporting 3 households in a dying oil patch tends to eat up spare $$ so I look for what I can find close to home and that is what there is.
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm Posts: 576 Location: N Dakota
Getting the RV lined up, one son provides the 40' RV the other provides the 1 ton dually to tow it with. I think it a great arrangement. Since we are off the grid even though it's just a day, I would prefer to have the facilities and comfort of... bringing the house with you! Besides it's much more pleasant to get up early and hunt agates before it gets hot, and spend the afternoon cleaning and sorting with a beverage in hand. Now if Timur can just find us before I have to haul all the rocks back to the camper myself
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:52 pm Posts: 1131 Location: Central Queensland, Australia
Hey Dan, you're still in the land of the living I see
The RV idea is great and is the only way I would possibly be able to get my missus out in the bush while I chase rocks. Hope you come home with a drum full of goodies!
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm Posts: 576 Location: N Dakota
Timur plans to meet us at the house, we will take the 3 hour drive and be where we want to be about dark. Wake up to coffee and breakfast burritos. Look for agates at our door step. I will try not to park on any big ones.
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