MS Book and Mineral Company
Marra Mamba and other Rocks for Lapidary Applications / Gemstone Slabbing & Cabbing Rough Rock
Colors on this page are to celebrate the colors of Marra Mamba
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Images are hyperlinked.....click mineral to enlarge
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Marra Mamba Crocidolite Slabbing Rough
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Quartz holds the rock together and is responsible chatoyant effect.
The other minerals providing the color variation are: Goethite, Hematite, Riebeckite, Hematite, and Magnetite
Normally one cabochon recovers the cost of each piece of rough purchased.
The colors found in this material are yellow, red, and blue. Multicolored crocidolite pieces occur where two of these colors appear side by side.
The picture to the left is of some of this material as I found it in a Texas rock shop years ago.
I thought I had sold out of this material last year, but in pulling drawers open on a mineral cabinet I discovered this additional material. I could not believe my eyes.
only 6 lots of this material are available today, but more material is on the way from Australia - There are a few show pieces which will be sold later as mineral specimens. One small piece will can be found in the
Australian Mineral Catalog
I can't guarantee you will get super stones out of every piece. You will have fun working these as I have.
Use a sharp blade and cut (slice) these slowly. Pieces can fracture, if you push too hard while cutting the material.
Click on the photographs ! They are hyperlinked, so they will enlarge x 4 !
Marra Mamba Crocidolite Slabbing Rough
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Lot 1 - One of the pieces in this lot has small pyrites toward one side. Sometimes you can get small pyrites included in your finished work; other pieces show good color
3.3 pounds @ $150/ lb. =
$ 495
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Lot 2 - The large piece here should yield some scenic pieces, I don't know what colors you might find, although there is a bit of red showing in it; other pieces in the lot show good blue color
2.6 lbs. @ $175 / lb. =
$ 455
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Lot 3 - Some good blues here and blue next to red; you will crazy trying to decide if you should cut the pieces one way or at a right angle to get better colors
2.4 lbs. @ $ 200 / lb. =
$ 480
Marra Mamba Crocidolite Slabbing Rough
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Lot 4 - Nice red in yellow here and another has blue in yellow; those dark "dancing" veins through the rock make some interesting finished pieces
2.9 lbs. @ $ 200 / lb. =
$ 580
Marra Mamba Crocidolite Slabbing Rough
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Lot 5 - Nice blue piece; don't know how it will look when cut; Another piece is gemmy with red and blue and larger pyrites throughout the piece; one note: large pyrites (not found in these) do not do well if you live in a humid region; the yellow piece has dark veins through it - include those in your finished work
2.6 lbs. X $ 250 / lb. =
$ 650
Marra Mamba Crocidolite Slabbing Rough
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Lot 6 - this is the most promising lot of the six as the coloring is very good; you should be able to cut multicolor stones here; remember these must be done slowly - don't rush your work!
And take a look below at more recent finds at Witenoom.
2.2 lbs. x $ 275 / lb. =
$ 605
Brown Crocidolite
Wittenoon, Hamersley Range
Western Australia
Crocidolite in matrix; sometimes called picture tigereye; this is a more recently mined material than the tigereye above. This is not
Rough chunks available:
Under 1 kilo, $ 15 / kilo
pieces 1 - 2 kilos, $ 30 / kilo
over 2 kilos, $ 50 / kilo
This crocidolite is very dense, i.e., the crocidolite fibers are extremely thin and are nearly impossible to distinguish from adjacent strands; both the crocidolite and the matrix will take a slick polish. Two small slices of the material are show here. The patterns seen are typical for this material; this crocidolite is made special due to the hematite dots, lines, or other patterns which of pure silver hematite; as seen here the crocidolite may occasionally have red patches in the mainly gold fibers. The gentleman who imported this material has passed away. What I have is all I will ever have.
Gold Crocidolite
Griqualand, Koega, Namibia
Sizes available:
Under 2 lbs. @ $ 25 / lb.
Over 2 lbs. @ $ 50 / lb.
These are golden chunks of dense cutting material for slabbing and/ or cabochons
If you are interested in rough, I will send jpeg's of several pieces and you can pick the one you would like to purchase.
Blue Crocidolite
Griqualand, Koega, Namibia
Sizes available:
most pieces are over 5 lbs.
$ 55 / lb.
Blue chunks of cutting material for cutting tigereye slices and/or producing cabochons
If you are interested in rough, I will send jpeg's of several pieces and you can pick the one you would like to purchase.
This material arrived here in Lake Charles wrapped in newspapers from South Africa with dates from the 1950's
Lapis Lazuli
gem grade
Afghanistan
5mm thick slices of material, sold by the gram; these slices have about 2-4 square inches of surface area each
$ 100 each
Piemontite with Cyprine
Copper Hill, near Taos, New Mexico
Sizes available:
Small pieces around 5 cm, $ 40
Larger pieces over 5 cm, $ 80
Piemontite (red) and Cuprine (green) on and throughout specimens mixed with a white and
gray matrix; this material is very hard and
can be cut and polished into gemstones
slice with longitudinal vascular bundles
Petrified Palmwood
Central Louisiana
Solid material containing preserved vascular bundles in a contrasting color from the matrix; material usually contains no voids or holes; as many as 75 colors have been identified in a research project I conducted several years ago. Louisiana Palm polishes to a mirror finish.
It is from palm trees that grew when Louisiana was still at the Equator. North Amreica has been moving for a very long time.
Available in chunks up to 10 pounds, or slices
Select material: $ 100 / kilo
Slices are excellent for cabochons or channel inlay giving the pattern of bird feathers
5 mm thick slices:
$ 10 for 1 sq. in.; a slice having 5 square inches
$ 50
7 mm thick slices: $ 20 for 1 sq. in. ; a slice having 6 square inches
$ 120
If available, slices containing the color black are priced at the usual rate x 5
slice with vascular bundles in cross section
Cabbing Grade Rutilated Quartz
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Rough is clear, translucent, or included; color of the rutiles can be gold, silver, copper or black
Graded by clarity of the rutiles
grade 1: $ 0.50 / gm
grade 2: $ 0.20 / gm
grade 3: $ 0.10 / gm
For facet grade rutilated quartz go to the faceting catalog
Cabbing Grade Smoky Rutilated Quartz
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Specify if you prefer light, medium or dark smoky or a mixture of colors; color of rutiles is usually silver, gold, black
priced at $ 1.95 to $4.00/ gm
India
Several sliced specimens are shown here. It is a cousin of blood stone with the red dots of iron oxide with a dark green background. See item below.
Although called a "jasper" it is really a extremely hard chalcedony which takes a mirror polish. Pieces usually range from 1 to 5 lbs.
$ 65 / kilo
Bloodstone
India
A green chalcedony with red dots composed of iron oxide and other minerals
The highest grade of bloodstone has red dots on a dark green background with no other colors or patterns present.
top grade: $ 100 / kilo and up
regular grade:
$ 50 / kilo
Chrysoprase
Candala Mine, Marlborough District, Queensland, Australia
A fine light too medium green chalcedony
Most pieces range from 1 - 4 kilkos each
Priced at $ 50 / kilo.
Chrysoprase has a range of colors and patterns with or without black dendritic inclusions and/or translucent or white areas
Several cabochons are shown cut from this material. The actual color is darker than shown. Cabochons were cut from the rough rock shown.
The photo to the left shows a close-up of some of these characteristics with the color of the chrysoprase in this piece going toward a citron color on the left side with clear areas and some inclusions.
Citron chrysoprase shown here to the left, is also available where the color variations are from green to lime greens
Pieces range from 3 - 7 kilos each
Priced at $ 45 - $ 55 / kilo
Malachite Rough
Republic of the Congo, Africa
This is an old stock of material which is very dense and dedicated banded. I purchased this material about 40 years ago.
This material is solid with no voids inside.
Pieces range from 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs.
Priced at $ 75 - $100 / kilos
Australia
A slice is shown here showing the three typical colors: red, white and yellow.
My current stock is solid, without pits or inconsistances.
Pieces range from 5 - 25 kios, priced @ $ 45 / kilo
Bluelace Agate
Namibia
This rock occurs in seams about 1 - 1 1/2" thick. The color patterns are usually white or blue wavy patterns through a pale blue matrix.
Pieces range from 1 - 4 kilos
priced @ $ 25 / kilo
Crazylace Agate
Mexico
This is material was purchased over 45 years ago when the best of this material was being mined in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Two slices are shown here showing some of the possibilities or pattern and color. Virtually any color you can imagine is found in Crazylace Agate. You will only know the color or pattern after you slice the rock open. I have spent many days cutting this material looking for yellow and/or red --- and finding it!
Pieces are sold at random.
Rough pieces range in size from 1 - 8 lbs.
$ 55 / kilo and up
Assortment of slices
$ 100 / kilo
Green Moss Agate
India
Delicate strands of "moss" is a translucent chalcedony background. Some pieces are more translucent than others.
Pieces range in size from
1 - 4 kilos
priced at $ 40 / kilo
Parrotwing Chrysocolla
Mexico
This is the good hard chrysocolla which will polish to a high gloss every time. Colors are mainly blues and greens, but can trend to red and brown as seen here.
Sold only as slices cut about 6 mm thick including at least 2 square inches of good working material; only a limited amout of this material remains
$ 75 - $ 100 per slice
Nephrite
slices and chunks
Nephrite scrap as received from the cutting houses in Germany over 20 years ago. Make cutting nephrite cabs and larger inlays easy. This material is larger than what is sold in the inlay catalog
Most pieces have 1 dimension over 1 inch.
Free sample with any order
or $ 40 / kilo
Botswana Agate
Botswana
One tumbled stone and two sliced sections are shown of this remarkable material with consistent banding. The most typical colors are pink to gray and white. I have found other colors also.
Available as broken nodules or sealed nodules where you have no idea what will be inside.
Most pieces are 1 - 3"
in size.
Broken nodules, $ 30 / kilo
Sealed nodules, $ 55 / kilo
Rainforest Jasper
Australia
Has the appearance of a continuum of thunderegg structures with basic colors of brown and green with quartz inclusions
Inquire about the size of pieces currently available
$ 100 / kilo
Dendritic Agate
Australia
Similar to Montana Agate which occurs in seams; contains delicate patterns usually in back in a clear to white quartz background. Occasionally will have brown inclusions also.
Most pieces have a maximum thickness of 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Pieces range from 1 to 2 kilos each
Priced at: $ 25 / kilo
Hickoryite
Mexico
An old favorite with banding patterns with the basic color of butterscotch with reddish-violet, white and / or gray streaks
Priced at $ 25 / kilo
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