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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Randolph County (Read 44760 times)
Scott LaBorde
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Randolph County
Jun 24th, 2011 at 11:32pm
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It looks as though this quartz went through stages of dissolving and growth to create the mosaic of rhombohedral faces covering this specimen.
« Last Edit: Sep 13th, 2011 at 1:29pm by Scott LaBorde »  

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Rebecca
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Re: Quartz from Randolph County, NC
Reply #1 - Jun 25th, 2011 at 9:28am
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oh! that is just beautiful! are there mud inclusions? would that be cathedral/pineapple/candle quartz?

i love it when it has all those faces catching the light and making it super sparkly!

did you get more? thanks for sharing.
  
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JoeM
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Re: Quartz from Randolph County, NC
Reply #2 - Jun 25th, 2011 at 9:26pm
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Awesome piece and pic, Scott!

Pineapple is close, Rebecca, but I think that might be called
"artichoke". Scott can clarify.

I will easily believe if you were to say that is now your favorite
piece from there because I found one a lot like it the last
time and it is now my favorite.
As always I need to get some better pics taken but for now.

  

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Rebecca
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Re: Quartz from Randolph County, NC
Reply #3 - Jun 26th, 2011 at 2:06pm
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OHHHH!!! That is awesome!!! Thanks for sharing. That would be a favorite, in general.
  
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Scott LaBorde
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Re: Quartz from Randolph County, NC
Reply #4 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 1:59pm
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Yes, Artichoke quartz is the name collectors might call this.  One of my favorite references for growth patterns, habits, and forms is "The Quartz Page".  Here is where Amir, the creator of this website talks about artichoke quartz:
http://www.google.com/url?url=http://www.quartzpage.de/gro_text.html%23split&rct=j&q=artichoke+quartz&usg=AFQjCNGHYKzi3DmJ7xEcAJq_B0kr0NCjoQ&sa=X&ei=N2YLTtT9MtPqgQewl6nJCA&ved=0CCIQygQwAA
  

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Rebecca
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Re: Quartz from Randolph County, NC
Reply #5 - Jul 5th, 2011 at 8:55pm
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Thanks Scott. That is a great resource site.
  
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Scott LaBorde
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Re: Randolph County, NC
Reply #6 - Sep 12th, 2011 at 11:12pm
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In pursuit of happiness among rockhounds John Frazier has allowed me temporary curator of these fine specimens from Randolph County.  Thank you John.  A very unique feature of these crystals, John pointed out, was that they had "melted" edges.  The second photo down shows how the edges and corners around this termination appear to be melted.  Please post your thoughts about how you think this happens.  The last picture is a 10 second exposure with a green laser focused with my hand, hence the movement shown in the picture.  I am blowing cigarette smoke onto the laser to show its trace through the air.  John mentioned to me about shining lasers into these crystals so I'd figure I would try and capture it digitally.
« Last Edit: Sep 13th, 2011 at 9:13am by Scott LaBorde »  

RandolphCounty0.JPG ( 340 KB | 187 Downloads )
RandolphCounty0.JPG
RandolphCounty1.JPG ( 337 KB | 171 Downloads )
RandolphCounty1.JPG
RandolphCounty2.JPG ( 316 KB | 175 Downloads )
RandolphCounty2.JPG

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Re: Randolph County
Reply #7 - Sep 13th, 2011 at 3:34pm
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Scott these look great.  In some of the groups of crystals, I have found that the laser seems to bounce around in one crystal by itself. They will sparkle like the laser is hitting micro inclusions.  Then other crystals just glow.  Hope we get some interesting answers. Smiley
  
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Scott LaBorde
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Re: Randolph County
Reply #8 - Sep 13th, 2011 at 8:03pm
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This is a very fine cluster featuring a double terminated main crystal with chlorite inclusions and an included scepter.  The matrix is feldspar.
  

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Scott LaBorde
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Re: Randolph County
Reply #9 - Sep 13th, 2011 at 8:05pm
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Just had to include some scale to show the relative size of these crystals.
  

RandolphCounty4.JPG ( 388 KB | 186 Downloads )
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RandolphCounty5.JPG ( 365 KB | 171 Downloads )
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Re: Randolph County
Reply #10 - Sep 14th, 2011 at 3:45pm
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That first one is really kool..Well..they all are.. Tongue
  
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Rebecca
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Re: Randolph County
Reply #11 - Sep 15th, 2011 at 9:52am
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I just saw the laser pic! AWESOME!  Cheesy What IS going on there!?

What is making the laser take that specific pattern on the surface of the crystal? Is that a pattern, or demonstration of the flow/path, or how the energy of light is entering? Or did the airflow with smoke particles disrupt it's path and that is what we see on the surface? hmmm....  Huh

I need to do this. What kind of laser? How do I do it?

On the topic of melted rocks: I found a spot in the back at Graves where the quartz crystals looked like they had been melted and were dripping off the host rock.  I will take pics if I can find them.  Since it was Graves, I just figured that sulphuric acid had effected them. That maybe true for surface (frosting, etching, smoothing, etc), but what made them grow that way in the first place? The look kind of like icicles. 
Anyway, it seems there would be an outside source weathering or altering the surface of the pictured crystal; since the internal growth or "frame", if you will, of the crystal habit seems to have the normal integrity of quartz.
  
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Scott LaBorde
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Re: Randolph County
Reply #12 - Sep 15th, 2011 at 12:55pm
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The pattern of the laser on the surface of the crystal is as the result of my hand moving while taking the picture -- remember it is a 10 second exposure (meaning the shutter was open for a full 10 seconds allowing the light from the laser and everywhere it fell to show up on the picture.  Think of it like a green marker drawn on the surface.  So the pattern is not the result of the crystal but more because I moved the laser during that 10 seconds.  Technically I could probably prop the laser steady and have it focused on one spot the entire exposure but then it might not be as interesting.   Cool
  

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Re: Randolph County
Reply #13 - Sep 15th, 2011 at 6:24pm
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Here I purposely drew with the laser on the crystal.  Each drawing I'm selling for $5K a piece.  HA!!  Oh yeah and it's a 15 second exposure in this picture, F14, ISO 100, in a dimly lit room --  Cannon EFS 60mm macro lense.
  

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Re: Randolph County
Reply #14 - Sep 15th, 2011 at 6:32pm
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Let's do numbered prints.  I need at least ten.  Scott you are getting creative. Smiley
  
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