A week ago Monday I went to visit my friends Bruce and Nancy and they gave me a piece of jasper they had recently found. None of us had seen this jasper before. The jasper is mainly black except for red lines that are spread out like spider webs. It is very close to a material called Spider Web Jasper which is black with white lines. After posting pictures of some cabochons we made on a rock hound forum we found that the material is known as Spider Man Jasper.
Spider Man Jasper Cabochon
After finding out what we had the excitement began to build. We were thinking that we might have found a new source for the material. Sunday Morning we headed out early to collect more of this jasper which was found in the tailings of an old agate mine.
When we arrived at the mine we filled a couple buckets right away then went to explore the tailings to see where the source of the material was. We found nothing, no float, no veins, nothing at all. We then went back to where we first collected and found that all of it was in one area in about a 30 to 40 foot circle.
We started filling more buckets and as we picked up the material we started finding end cuts from a slab saw. Then Nancy started finding scraps of Owyhee Jasper. A little while later I found a small chunk of Morrisonite. That’s when we knew for sure we didn’t have a source; we had somebody’s discard pile. I would like to see what the person who dumped this material kept.
We are not sure how long this pile had been there. The material does not look that interesting until it is cut so I can see how it could have been easily passed up. If Bruce hadn’t seen the red web pattern on the end of a chunk and took a few chucks home to check out the material it would still be sitting there waiting for the next rock hound.
Spider Man Jasper Rough
After we finished with the Spider Man Jasper we headed to Succor Creek following the dirt roads from Graveyard Point. Our first stop was another dump pile that Nancy had found earlier. This pile was more obvious than the Spider Man Jasper pile. It had many different materials, many with face cuts. There were also many slabs in the pile.
The last place we went to was another old mine. This was a hill side where a huge cut was made. The tailings went for about a quarter mile down the hill from the mine. We found very little at this location. We think this was and agate mine because we found a few tiny chips. As for big chunks or veins we found nothing. Whoever did this mining did a very good job of getting every usable piece of material. The mine however was a great location to take a break in the shade and eat lunch.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey John, nice write up. Your Morrisite is sitting on the table, I won’t steal it unless of course it stays here too long. I survived the biopsy today. I was really nervous about the procedure but it was a piece of cake. They gave me drugs so I got a bit silly and walked funny. I should be good for another trip this weekend, lol. Then the really crappy (no pun intended,much) is Tuesday. probably more than you wanted to know,lol.
Hey Nancy, It’s good to hear the biopsy went OK. If you or Bruce want to cut that Morrisonite go for it. I am game for going rock hunting Saturday morning. I would like to be back around noon. The following weekend I will be in Billings, Montana for the gem show. I need to get caught up on some things before then, this weekend.
Hey Buddy
Nice looking rock there. Is it a common find? I regret not going rock hounding with you more often, between the exercise and the excitement of the next find, I can understand why people pick up the hobby.
I catch myself looking at rocks when I am walking on trails or along side the road where it has been dug out of a small hill. I haven’t found anything but nor do I have an eye for rocks either.
You, Jen, and the little guy should come out some time. I think we are looking at 2011 to come to Idaho for a vacation, not 100% sure though.
I am not sure how common this material is. This is the first and only time I came across it. Where this material was gathered is not the source.
I would love to take the family to Japan to visit you but I want to wait until the little guy is old enough to remember the experience. Maybe once he starts school we will plan a trip. It sure would be some good show and tell material for him.