Rock Hounding With The Wild Horses of Wyoming - The Polished Pebble

Wild horses....nothing says freedom quite like the image of a group of wild horses running free. No fences to hem them in. No borders they are not free to cross. A lovely thought - but hardly reality. But on the day I spent with them, it was hard not to feel the draw.

The day started out as planned. I was going to go out to an area that I had kind of skipped over before in my travels out rock hunting. A large basin surrounded by low to medium hills just north of Raulins, WY. Barren rolling ground with little more than sagebrush & native grass. Wild horses were nowhere in my plans.

I turned off the pavement onto one of the many dirt roads...scanning the sides for any interesting rock outcroppings or gullies that needed to be explored. Careful to stay in the well worn ruts & not damage this fragile land anymore than necessary. As the truck crested a low hill they came into view...a group of horses. They were lazily grazing when I first saw them.

Beautiful & strong I thought that they were the property of a nearby rancher. They looked extremely healthy & well feed. As I drove within 50 yds. of them they seemed unconcerned until I stopped to just look. It seemed that the minute the truck came to a halt all eyes were on me. I sat for just seconds looking & it became clear that they we not happy with me so close - so I continued on my way. After all, I was not looking to find horses. :)

I did find some interesting agates along the road not too far from where I saw the horses, so I pulled off the road & got out. Looking around I noticed that I had crossed another ridge & the horses were not visible from here. I was busy looking around, and picking up some of the agate & petrified wood that was in the area. I had wandered about 100 yds. from my truck when I heard the noise. The ground seemed to be shaking along with this thundering noise. As I looked toward the direction of this noise I saw the same group of horses heading my way at a dead run. Not a casual speed - a "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE" run.

Now, it is amazing just what goes thru your mind when you are faced with something like this. All I could think was "Dang, I left the camera in the truck!". Looking back now, I should have been afraid of being run over...but for some reason I didn't feel that way. As the lead horse spotted me - he veered to the left ever so slightly & the pack passed by about 20 yds. away. Each horse looking me in the eye as they passed.

The last horse in the group slowed as he approached me & stopped. the other horses had cleared the next rise by then. Standing there, it was very evident that he was sizing me up. Me, I was admiring this beautiful & powerful animal. He was stunning. We stood there for what seemed like along time...then on top of the ridge the rest of the group appeared & one of the horses made a noise. The horse by me turned & walked towards the others. And then they were gone.

I continued my quest for stone - but it was just not the same & I decided to call it a day. The drive back to the ranch was uneventful, but the memory was & still is very vivid to this day. I plan to make another trip to this area next year....don't know if I want to find more rock or just visit the horses again. Either way - it should be fun.

Connie - The Polished Pebble

*****One additional note - just before we left Wyoming....I read in a local paper that the BLM was going to do a Wild Horse roundup later that month in the area I was in. I wonder if the group I met is still roaming the range. I sure hope so.

Mother Natures Little Gems - The Polished Pebble

We have been cleaning & cleaning again some of our latest additions. These are some small natural treasures from our Wyoming trip last Oct. Collected in an area near the Laramie Mountains. While alot of people working with stone collect large pieces that can be cut & polished, myself included....I still continue to be drawn to the smaller pieces also.

Such detail in a little stone - and Mother Nature has already finished these beauties off with a nice tumble followed by a wind polish. No extra work for me, right? Well, sort of. The job of cleaning these pretties off can be quite labor intensive....soaking & scrubbing - over & over again for some. But the end result is worth it.

I always thought that these gems deserved their rightful place in a beautiful piece of jewelry. Recently there have been a few talented artists that have agreed with me. I must admit, I am amazed at their ability to twist & wrap wire while showcasing these smaller stones. They are amazing!

The pieces above are the most interesting dark grey metallic stones. While we are not geologists, we believe them to be manganese. The look reminds me of some iron meteorites I have...but they are different. Just think of what these would look like in a wrap - they are definitely one of a kind items.

And every now & then - while cleaning up a small gem you uncover some sparklie crystal druzy. This piece has a fracture down the middle. The plan is to make a cut along the fracture & polish the agate. They will be small - but stunning.

Connie  -  The Polished Pebble

The Search for Black Turitella Agate - Rockhounding with The Polished Pebble

Turitella Agate

We arrived in Wyoming for our annual Elk/Rock hunting trip after the usual long drive ready for the challenge. Looking ahead to the weather, they were predicting rain in about 4 days. If you have ever traveled on the dirt/gravel roads of Wyoming....you would understand our concern.

You see, when it rains in Wyoming - the dirt roads turn to the stickiest, slickest, gooiest mess. It is really best to avoid them until they dry out. Since I had planned some trips that were farther away from home base this year...I had to get out there right away. Usually I would stick around & visit a couple of days before going out. Not this time. So the next day I was back on the road.

Heading out that morning....destination - Delaney Rim, just outside of Wamsutter, WY for Black Turitella Agate. Actually, it is "Goniobasis" - fossil snail shells in black agate. I had with me my trusty "Rockhounding Wyoming" book and was ready to go hunting.

I reached Wamsutter with no problems and the quick trip thru the edge of town was a breeze. But I was not prepared for what I saw after getting on the dirt/gravel road. It seems that the whole area was on LARGE natural gas field. There was numerous areas with large machinery & the BIG truck traffic was heavy. This could be interesting.

As I was counting the miles off to the first turn I noticed that there did not appear to be any road signs for the side roads here. And when I came to the mileage where I was supposed to turn...there was NO road. Backtracking I took the first road I came to that went to the west. No sign...oh well. The book said this road was a narrow road...not now. Then at the stated mileage I was supposed to see a structure (Metal Shed or Barn). Well, the mileage was off - but I saw something. And there was supposed to be another road sign...ugh, no sign. So I took a leap & kept going straight. The book said the road I wanted was little more than two parrallel ruts...my how things change. The road is now a well worn dirt/gravel road with lots of traffic.


The site that I was looking for was supposed to be on the top of a rim. As I climbed the hill and came around the corner I could see a bunch of black rocks. I HAD FOUND IT! Pulling off the road & parking, I got out my bucket & walked out onto the rim. There was Turitella Agate everywhere! Most were smaller pieces - but with alittle looking...there were fist size pieces that would cut some small slabs. There were also some small plates that had nice shells exposed on the top of the agate. I picked up a few of those too.

Road to Agate Bed


Remember, I had said this road was very busy...well it seemed that every truck driver waved as they passed. I always try to be as visible as possible & never trespass on Private property. This area is checkerboarded (One Section BLM, the next Private) so always know where you are. While working the area a truck driver stopped & motioned me over. He asked me if I was picking up that "snail agate", when I told him I was - he got on his radio. Knowing that I was on BLM land I was not really concerned. He talked to his boss back & forth. And then gave me directions to a location on their property that had bigger pieces. I had permission to collect there as long as I stayed away from their equipment. GREAT!



Area on top of the rim


Driving out there, I stopped along the way to look around. At first, I found much the same as the first area until I got closer to the exact area he described. The ground was littered with shells that had eroded from the agate & the area was almost pure black from all the agate. But here again, it seemed that most was smaller pieces. Then I got to looking around I found that people had been digging. This is where they were getting the bigger pieces. I spent some time looking and digging. Always filling the holes back in as much as possible.



Shells & bits of agate

 This stone is very heavy and the shells add an additional sharp edge. If you go, please remember gloves. I didn't have to break any of the larger pieces apart, but you might find the need to. If so, eye protection is a MUST. And as always, respect the landowners anywhere you collect. We don't need to lose anymore collecting areas. There is more development and land usage out here in "The Middle Of Nowhere" than ever before. By being respectful we can keep these places open to collection.

Those pieces of Turitella that I brought home are waiting to be cut. More pictures to come.

Connie - The Polished Pebble

Back from the wilds of Wyoming - The Polished Pebble



Chalk Mountains - Wyoming

Well, we survived another hunting season. Score.....NO Elk - lots of rock. It seems we are on a every other year schedule for getting an elk. On the other hand, rock seems plentiful & is only limited by how far I want to drive & how much weight I can carry back to California. Got to get a bigger truck ;)

This years weather has been interesting everywhere. And the first two weeks of October in Wyoming was right on par with the rest of the weird weather. When we left Bakersfield it was upper 80's to lower 90's....the last few days of Sept. When we arrived in Wyoming it was in the low 80's.....we were hoping for a nice cool down, but mother nature had other ideas.

With few exceptions, the weather stayed very warm our whole trip (2 weeks & a few days). The weather played a big part in the NO ELK. Because it was still so warm, they just weren't moving out of the mountains.

Earlier in the year they had LOTS of water. Which exposed more rock in areas where the pickings had been slim or even unseen. I found the prettiest Agatized Petrified Wood on a friends' ranch that they had never seen before. It had been exposed by the excessive rain earlier in the year...but more on that later.

We have been trying to get everything back to normal here after the trip. The weekend was spent washing clothes, giving the dogs a bath, giving the truck a bath..(should have took pictures before - it was covered in thick sticky mud), mowing the lawn....and the list goes on. One thing I made sure we did was clean out the rock saw. After sitting idle for over two weeks it was fairly easy to drain & then muck out the sludge on the bottom. It is running as I type. Lots of pretties to open.

Here is a look at what we brought home....

Included in the pile is Black Agate, Moss Agate, Agatized Petrified Wood, Turitella Agate, Bull or Snow Quartz, some Jade, Sweetwater Agate and a whole lot of "Pretty" rocks.

Recounts of the daily rockhounding trips to follow - stay tuned.

Connie - The Polished Pebble

Busy, Busy, Busy.....As The Slab Saw Cuts with The Polished Pebble

Mystery Agate

Mystery Stone

Wyoming Geode

The slab saw has been humming all day....something about an unusually cool day that makes hauling rock up to the saw not as big a chore. It has been blissfull these past 4 days & we have gotten tons of work done outside. But the heat is going to settle back in & we will be back to normal for August in Bakersfield. And for those that don't know...it get HOT here. And we normally shut off the saws early.

Above is some of the stuff we have been cutting.....more pictures tomorrow

Going Ahh...Natural With The Polished Pebble

Ok, so just what did you think we were talking about???? Natural edged or natural finished Gemstones....right? Well, that's what were talking about.  : )

The organic look & feel of natural edged stones has always intrigued us. We love the newest trend in jewelry towards this edge. Designer jewelry have come along way from the "If it isn't gold with faceted gemstones - it isn't a designer piece."

There are artists out there on the cutting edge using copper, brass, aluminum, right along with silver, gold and even platinum. They are mixing faceted stones with cabochons....gemstone beads with raw crystals. Polished gemstone slabs...and even 100% natural wind polished pieces. Not only as accents - but as the focal piece of their creation.

We have always picked up those interesting pieces on our trips. And they have a place in our home and our yard. But until recently, they have not been offered for sale. Currently we have a number of interesting "Natural" pieces on our website The Polished Pebble .

Natural Jasper Nodule

 Many are found while out rockhounding. But just as many are found just where ever we happen to be. We are always looking for neat & unusual pieces to offer others or for our own collections.

You never know what you will find. Sometimes you come home empty handed - other times you find some real keepers.

Wind Polished Stylized Heart

There is a large demand for natural edged Gemstone Slabs that are polished front & back. We currently only list some slices of Oco Geodes on our site. One thing to remember, not all Oco's are created equal. Just like any other gemstone...there are different grades. You can find Oco Geode slices marketed for a buck a piece. But they will be pretty junk...not colorful treasures.

Oco Geode Gemstone Slice

We are looking to expand our offerings to other slabs like this.......

Dark Cherry Jasper Natural Edged Polished Slab

But one of our latest pieces is a real treasure. And remember, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".....

This is the outside of one of our Wyoming Geode - Nodules that come from a friends' ranch. We just love that organic feel. When this end piece came off the saw it just spoke to us. And under that interesting exterior.....

Some beautiful agate. The finished pendant will be a real conversation starter. And there will never be another one like it.

On the down side....while alot of people are looking for the unusual pieces. Some balk at paying much for "FOUND" pieces. To that we reply, our costs include gas, wear & tear on our truck, time & marketing. If you want them for free - they're out there...go find them.

For those that are looking for that "One Of A KIND" piece - check out our website  The Polished Pebble

Working with Horse Canyon Agate - The Polished Pebble

We have been pulling out some awesome pieces of Horse Canyon Agate from the pile here lately. It seems that it was time to work a few.

For those that don't know this stone, you are missing out. Found in the mountains just east of Tehachapi, CA - Horse Canyon Agate is a well known - if not world known gemstone. Most will easily recognize the green to blue green moss in clear agate that comes from this location. But if that is all you think there is....you are sadly mistaken.

                                                 Horse Canyon Moss Agate Cabochon

Beautiful moss agate - in colors not found anywhere else. But, that is just the beginning. There is an unbelievable range of agate found in this area. From a multitude of different colored mosses in clear, amber, blue & even black agate. Most are the signature wispy type - but there is MORE. There is tube agate, saginite, plume & agate that has a jumble of all of them.

Now the down side - it is not available for collection anymore. Yes, I know....we seem to be hearing that with more & more of the stones we work with. Either the landowner doesn't allow collecting anymore (which is the case with this stone) or it is totally extinct, or even better - it is in the middle of a military base. Even worse are the areas that some politicians lock up in "Wilderness Areas". Oh yea, you can still walk in. But who wants to walk 50, 60, 100 miles in to carry out a backpack full of stone? Never mind that most people could not physically do that if they wanted to.

Luckily, we have a stash of Old Stock material & we will be cutting some Killer Cabs from this stone. We just recently cut up a piece. And here is what we found.......

                                                                           

   An end cut! WOW!!!!!!

A slice......

                
                                                       A finished cab....well, sort of

As we were shaping this beauty, it became apparent that the vugs with the beautiful crystal druzy were being lost in the grinding & polishing. We were on the fence about either leaving them or filling them in. Even as I am typing this....I am still thinking. But I think in the long run, we will fill them in since there is so little left...they kind of just look lost. So tomorrow this little beauty will be listed on our website The Polished Pebble for those that might be interested. You won't be disappointed.

If you want to see more of what this gemstone can look like, you need to check out Agates With Inclusions for their amazing collection of Horse Canyon Agate. The owner, Pat McMahan has a collection of unbelievable agates. It is guaranteed you will have "Agate Envy" after seeing what is there.

Looking for that special Gemstone to complete your latest jewelry project? Or maybe you want to add to your collection of beautiful & rare Cabochons. The Polished Pebble could have just what you are looking for. If not, we do custom orders. Check it out!

Rockhounding Trip to Rainbow Ledge (Ridge) for Beautiful Agate...........The Polished Pebble

As promised, I have pictures & more from our rockhounding trip yesterday 11-8-09 to Rainbow Ledge (Ridge) for some of the well known beautiful agate. Since the location is a couple of hours away, our day started early. And lunches had to be made & packed beforehand, so I was up at 5am.

We left town at 6am. Traveling over the mountains into the desert is aways an interesting drive. I like getting out early. Less traffic & every now & then a spectacular sunrise. And on this trip we saw an eerie sunrise. It was foggy going over the Tehachapi Mountains. And the wisps of fog caused the rising sun to play peek-a-boo thru the different layers. I wish I had stopped & taken a picture, but with the truck traffic it would not have been very safe - so we drove on.

We were traveling to Ridgecrest. Where the Indian Wells Valley Gem and Mineral Society was having their annual show. It was there that we were supposed to meet up & be guided to Rainbow Ledge. The Indian Wells club owns the claim on this area & non members are only allowed to collect at certain times. This was going to be our first time there, so we were excited to actually see the site.

Arriving early, we relaxed outside the show area until we saw people moving around. Once we got inside, we registered for the field trip & were told that the member running the trip would make an anouncement when we needed to gather to go. We checked out the offerings availble from the different vendors. The assortment was great & there were some pieces I would have loved to buy. But, things are too tight right now - so all I could do was look.

It seemed like it was getting pretty late & one of the vendors said that he thought that the trip should be going soon. We looked over at the clubs table & everything for the field trip was gone. We went over & asked & were told they already left! WHAT??? No one made any announcement - I guess the leader just met people outside & thought he had everyone. Luckly, we were able to scramble some directions from some other club members & off we went.

Now, we didn't break any land speed records - but they had about 20 min. on us. We found the right turn off onto the dirt road & went 4 wheeling. I knew that they were not going to be going very fast in with a group. And we could see their dirt trail up ahead. We caught up to them, just as they were reaching the claim. So I guess, no harm no foul.

Up The Hill

Now, I have been to plenty of rock collecting sites. And while many are on flat land, it seems that the best stone is almost always up a mountain or a canyon. And you just have to work your way up to find the best pieces. Rainbow Ledge is that kind of place.

A Long Way To The Top

The weather was perfect. Nice & sunny, with just the slightest breeze. Now, if I could just find the right rocks! My helper on this trip was my youngest, Andy. He was just looking to get out of town for the day, HA. At first he was grumbling about the climbing to get to the rock - but after a while he was enjoying himself. And it was alot easier with him to help carry stuff back to the truck.

"There's got to be some good rocks here."

As you climbed closer to the top, the rock rubble became more of a challenge. And you didn't want to fall on this stuff. It was sharp!

Rock & Stone everywhere

But, the real work was finding good quality pieces with solid structure, not all fractured up. And nice color combos. You couldn't just pickup anything, you really had to look.

The Top!

Andy made it to the top of the mountain. By time to go - I was still not there. No loss, we still brought home lots of pretties. I would have stayed another couple of hours but the field trip leader wanted to get us all out of there...... All in all, it was a great day.

What did we bring home?

And some closeups.......

YUMMY!

My saw will be humming for quite a while of these beauties.....

Remember, ThePolishedPebble.com for your Gemstone Cabochons

 

Rockhounding trip this weekend!!!!..........The Polished Pebble

We have been keeping our noses to the grindstone here recently. Trying to get stuff cleaned up & put up. And that has left little time for anything other that slabbing stone since I can do that while I work on something else. Also, since the time change - it gets dark way too early.

But Sunday we are making a trip to Ridgecrest for the Indian Wells Valley Gem and Mineral Society's 54th Show. They also have a field trip to their CLAIMED site - "Rainbow Ledge", also known as Rainbow Ridge. The always beautiful & varied jasper & agate by the same name. This is the only time the club allows non members to collect since someone went in there & made a mess with machinery & explosives. That incident nearly cost the club their claim. So now it is closed to other collectors except for this yearly trip.

I have a couple of pieces from the area, but they are pretty fractured. I can work around the fractures for  some nice cabs, but I am really excited about not only getting some primo rough. I really want to see the location & maybe some other areas that might just produce some different agate or jasper designs.

An added plus is just getting out. I love to get out a see other places & be able to do some checking of areas around know locations. Sometimes it pays off, others not so much. But hey - the hunt can be just as much fun as finding. Plus, it is not too far from home. If we do find something of interest.

It will be a long day & I plan on taking lots of pictures. Mondays post should be very interesting. Remember to check back.

Your outlet for Designer Gemstone Cabochons - ThePolishedPebble.com

Wind Polished Agates & Other Natural Stones.........The Polished Pebble

As a lapidary - one who cuts, grinds, shapes & polishes gemstones - I have also continued to collect & use "Natural Finish" stones in my personal projects. Heck, I even drag home rocks that I never intend to cut. They are just Pretty Rocks, and they are just as important to me as my other stones.

When I was young, on vacation, my mother would bring home unique looking rocks. Driftwood, bits of rusted metal & anything else that caught her eye. She would use them inside & out for decoration. So, I guess it was not surprising that I did much the same as I grew up & looked for inexpensive items to decorate my home & yard.

Now, don't get me wrong - my home & yard don't look like a junk yard or something like that. It is just that I tend to use rather unconventional items in different ways.

That brings me to my latest topic - the use of wind or stream polished stones in jewelry. Truth be told, I have been using such items since I was in high school. Even then looking for something different, natural & beautiful. Something that no one else had - or could just go to the store & buy.

I did a couple of Google searches, looking to see if anyone was marketing such items. The pickings were pretty slim. But not everyone even know what I am talking about so here are some pictures.........

Botryoidal Black Agate Pocket

The above picture is one of quite a few pieces I picked up on our last trip to Wyoming. Notice the natural polish. It is a sweet little piece 1" tall by 3/4" wide. There is some host rock attached to the back that I plan on triming. This little beauty would make a great centerpiece for a pendant.

  

Blue - Black Agate with a Druzy Pocket

Another Wyoming find, this piece has one of the most desired centers around. Druzy is "Hot" right now in jewelry designs. The demand for good pieces is thru the roof. Right now this piece measures 1 3/4" long by

1 1/4" wide. There is also some host rock to trim on this piece. It could also be split in half, depending on its final design.

  

Blue - Black Agate with white accents

One of my favorite pieces I brought back. When you hold it in your hand it looks like a heart that has kind of melted & deformed slightly. The only thing this little pretty needs is to be put into a pendant that will highlight it's unique natural design. It measures 1" tall by 3/4" wide.

What about something different?

Botryoidal Agate Nodule from the Geode local

This little bubbly ball needs some more cleaning, but it shows the fun design that could be worked into a unique jewelry piece. It measures in at 1" by 1" by 3/4".

And this?

  

Flat Jasper Nodule

This very earthy piece was found in a jasper local. There were large broken nodules pieces littering about a 100 ft area. Nothing really spectacular about the big pieces. But I found this little guy in the rubble. The chip was already there. This piece measures almost 1 3/4" tall by 1 1/8" wide and 3/8" thick.

Pieces like these are one of a kinds. And for the most part, unless you are the one out there looking for them, not available to buy. Until now.........

We are going to start listing some unique "Natural" pieces in our website. Pieces that will allow those up for the challenge, to design truely one of a kind works of art.

The pieces pictured here were from our latest trip to Wyoming. They were being sorted for use. I have additional pieces that we will also feature for sale starting 11-15. Until then, you can just dream.

We have also recently purchase a new camera & will be working on replacing the current pictures on the website to ones that give better detail. Please excuss our mess during this change over.

For your designer gemstone cabochons - ThePolishedPebble.com