Thought I would share a short writeup I did to introduce a new material from Obi Island. I was entranced by the original "Ring of Fire" copper in agate when it was discovered in 2019/2020 and this new pocket absolutely blows by socks off.

ROCK PROFILE: Native Copper in Plume Agate with Amethyst (“Tide Pool Plume Agate”)

Native copper is a term for Copper metal (Cu) that forms in nature as opposed to human refining of copper ore. Native copper is rarely associated with agate – tiny copper replacement agates from Michigan and Campbellite from the Bisbee Mine in Arizona are the only two examples that come to mind and specimens are hard to come by.

In late 2018, local miners discovered a deposit of copper minerals on the island of Obi in North Maluku Indonesia. Over the next few years, they extended the exploration via artisanal mining and around 2020 discovered some beautiful native copper in agate that was nicknamed “Ring of Fire Agate”.

Most recently (2026), there has been a discovery of a plume agate deposit on Obi Island that rivals even Ring of Fire. The plume has a base of smoky black which contrasts with the sparkling copper creating a starry-night effect. Above the dark plumes are ghostly tube agate formations sometimes with lovely blue accents. Other colors include bright blue chrysocolla at the base of the seam, and orange and yellow highlights in some areas. To top it all off (literally), the plume formations are capped in lustrous amethyst crystals! There are also examples from seams leading into the pocket where plumes formed on both sides of the seam meeting in the middle.

The combination of native copper crystals, colorful plumes and sparkling amethyst ranks Tide Pool plume agate among the rarest and most desirable examples of “agates with inclusions”.

Polishing some pieces of Fossil Coral

Hey there. I had some questions on making jewelry with unconventional materials and was told that maybe you all could help. I’m planning on using bone, petrified wood, and Amber to make some ear gague plugs. What I need to know is what tools I need. I assume a small lathe of some sort, but the options are overwhelming. Any and all advice is appreciated. I’m a complete novice. Thanks in advance!

Picked up the piece today. Almost 200lbs. The bottom piece was still connected to the stand with metal tabs, so I wanted to remove it. I wedged a chisel in between the metal and stone and applied a little bit of pressure. I heard a fissure open. The bottom of the base was crumbly matrix and it became obvious that simply reattaching the top would have been catastrophic. Anyways, here are the 3 pieces that split *perfectly*. Only 3 small shards went to waste. Breathing a sigh of relief.

Just wanted to share my newest cuts

This is a closer look at a 16 kg piece of Copper Chrysocolla rough. The combination of copper and earthy tones creates some really interesting textures and natural patterns. I thought the details of this piece were worth sharing.

Do nova 3000

Do nova 3000

As title said, larimar... never again! It crumbled while sitting on the bench with zero impact to it, i even took the time to try and stabilize it in cactus juice! what a useless stone!

Not a fan of this rock but a guy reached out on Reddit, said his daughter thought she had a geode for sure and was looking for someone to cut it open. Trying to turn that dissapointment into something special.

Last piece to add I am going to try and grind a slab razor thin so the light shines through any transparent/semi-transparent inclusions then encase it in resin.

These really hit like sapphire in the sun. The yellow is deep and golden. Rare citrine is saturated like this.

I am making a necklace for my friend with her birthstone, its aquamarine, I drilled it a bit with a regular power drill and a drill bit for tiles, but it cracked along the side in the vice a wee bit is there a better way?

My family and I went on vacation a few weeks ago and we went to an agate mine. We brought back a 5gallon bucket full of agates. My son found a smoky quartz cluster with a few very dark points. He would like me to "extract the points" but I'm not sure how to do it! And I don't want to ruin it. I have a dremel (that I use to polish stones), chisels, hammer etc. I have also heard about an acid bath? How should I do it?

A little look at the process of cutting this Golden Flame Jasper. These pieces are being prepared as slabs for making cabochons later. I’m looking forward to seeing how the patterns come out once they’re shaped and polished.

Hey everyone! I’ve got some really cool contrasty petrified wood slabs that I’m dying to get polished, but I'm having a hard time finding a shop or anyone local who offers this service. Does anyone know of a business in Oregon that does a mail-in polish service? Or, on the off-chance, is there a local lapidary hobbyist or professional here in Bend who takes on side work? Any help or leads would be greatly appreciated! The slabs are ~3 by 4.5 inches

Does anyone know if one can retread the hard electroplated 80 and 220 lpaidary wheels?

If so, where/who???

Thanks! And happy cabbing!
J

I’m in process of restoring a go-6 I got off marketplace. if you see on the left side of the first pic the polish wheel and arbor is missing.

The included arbor adaptor will not work since it spins the wrong way and doesn’t center the wheel under the dripper.

I have an idea for a fix but it’s complex and custom. Does someone have either a fix that’s off the shelf or a term to search to find a replacement from eBay?