The winter storms tree damage is all cleaned up, processed to saw logs and split firewood. Three large fires that I lit burned up all the brush. So, I had a bit of time to cut and polish more of The Carver agates.

Rock #5171 : Paisley Agate
I found it, cut it, and named it

The paisley agate was named by me. It is a bit dark for inclusion in jewelry, but I liked it because the pattern reminded me of the paisley so popular in my childhood.

Rock #5161

Photo 5161 is a heel grind of a small agate nodule which yielded ‘sunflowers’ in a pretty blue-appearing stone. The blue color of the stone was enhanced greatly from a pale white to the blue that you see due to my photographing the stone on a very foggy Maine day. When photographed in my shop on a sunny day, the blue is closer to translucent/white. This once again demonstrates how the blue coloration in many of The Carver agates results not from the blue color of the stone as much as from the blue light refraction exiting the stone. The sunflower-looking pattern are sagenites which formed on the outside surface of a nodule. The pattern was not inside the stone, but rather on the outside surface. Therefore, I cut off the heel of the stone, then shaped and polished the stone from the outside inward.

Rock #5167

The next photo, 5167, is a gorgeous agate slab from a pale colored nodule which, when photographed on the same foggy day, reflected more blue color than the pale white to translucent color seen on a sunny day. No matter what the cause of the color (I never Photoshop the colors of my rocks), I love it! The blue banding surrounding the euhedral quartz center is simply stunning.

Rock #5170

This polished slab, photo 5170, was cut from a citrine (yellow quartz) agate. In the photograph, it has a strikingly cool blue agate band surrounding the translucent euhedral quartz center. This cross-sectional slab happened to bisect what many refer to as the ‘fill tube’ (white at the bottom of the stone) through which the material creating the agate entered the stone.

Other experts now believe that the ‘fill tube’ was not the source of filling the stone, but of material being ejected from the stone during an electrochemical process which created the crystals inside of the stone. Whatever the mechanism of formation, this tube, which is very common in geodes and nodules from The Carver, is clearly shown in the photo.

As interesting or not (you decide), the really neat part requires considerably more explanation. The blue band appearing around the euhedral quartz center as shown in the photo, when held up to bright light, does not appear blue. The band which appears blue in the photo is in fact a beautiful prismatic coloration commonly known as iris agate. This band, when viewed with light entering the stone from behind, flashes all of the brilliant rainbow colorations of a prism. The photo as you see it here was reflecting blue light which my Nikon camera, for whatever reason, saw as blue.

Keep in mind that when I photographed the stone, the light which was entering the stone and creating the blue band was entering the stone from above, and not light entering the stone from behind. Iris agate is quite rare and much sought after by rock collectors. If I could figure out how to photograph the iris effect, I would do so. It is very difficult to photograph because it is necessary to have bright light coming through the stone from behind, while photographing the prismatic effect from the front. Taking a photograph directly into the light source that creates the prismatic effect is beyond my photographic capabilities.

If you wish to see this type of photography and more explanation on iris agate, research “iris agate” at Geology.com.

Rock #5164

More interesting stones popped out of recently cut nodule slabs. Photo 5164 is a citrine agate slab with a euhedral quartz center—but much more!

Rock #5164 Close-up
This stone also has a 3-D appearing orange/red tulip. It is just odd and fascinating.

Rock #5169

Photo 5169 is not unique…it is just a Carver jasper with a very pretty pattern. I liked the pattern so I did a freeform cab.

Rock #5168

In photo 5168, a ‘mouth with lips and teeth’ appear in the stone. At least that is what I saw. It interested me, so I cut and polished it.

Rock #5168 Close-up
See the mouth, the lips and teeth?

Rock # 5163
It was a hot summer afternoon . . . cool stone

Lastly, photo 5163 is a cool stone. I liked it, so I cut and polished it.

I hope you enjoy my latest finds and efforts! And I hope you enjoy a wonderful FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!