The Wife and I just made a trip to an "Old Time" rock shop! We were on a buying trip for an online crystal/stone site we are planning on setting up. This place was REALLY out in the boonies. Traffic was backed up twice due to waiting our turn to pass the Amish in the buggies. This guy's shop is only open on Saturday, and by appointment only! With the exception of it being in his barn, it was like stepping back into 1968 rock shop. Rough rock was in bins along one wall, cut slabs were spread out all over one table, and there were barrels of rock outside in a fenced in area. I hit the barrels first.
Outside in the barrels there was a LARGE selection of Arizona petrified wood, Montana moss agate, mahogany, black, and snowflake obsidian, and LOTS of lace agate! I only had time to cherry pick one barrel of lace- I was looking for ones with a lot of red, then came across ones with a lot of green...... I get distracted easily- one full 5 gallon bucket there. Then I picked through just the tops of the Montana moss and the petrified wood- filled another bucket there.
After going in, we negotiated the price. He asked me what I was willing to pay, and I asked him how much he wanted. I told him how much I could get material for in a lapidary rock yard in Michigan, he said he could not match that. I told him I didn't think he could, but wanted to give him first shot because he was "local", and been a supporter of a local rock club. In the end, I got a good price!
Next, we started on the inside. there were two nice chunks of cabbing grade amethyst (about 2 lbs. each) and I grabbed them. Tiger's eye was in good supply, and I got 2 slabs of blue, one of variegated, and one of yellow, totaling just under 20 lbs. My Wife was picking through quartz points with black carbon inclusions, when she asked me "what's that on the top of the shelf, right above you?" There were two chunks of malachite- one just over 10 lbs., and the other just under 15 lbs.!- I got them both! All of this material had been there for years. the shop had been owned by his father many years before! there were several chunks of Idontknowite and more than a few pieces of gotnoideaite that I picked up that may pan out for me after positive identification.
Now I need to pick up a slab saw, a trim saw, an arbor, a flat lap.........
