This material was originally found by Reggie Kemp and Gary McIntosh back in the late 1960s, and was referred to back then as just “the purple agate.” Somewhere along the line, it became known as Purple Cow, and the name stuck. This material wasn’t the easiest to dig, being that the vein ran down at a 45-degree angle. With that, a lot of dirt needed to be removed in order to chase the seam, and in turn, this material wasn’t always abundant.
This past year or so, the Kemp / Zuccone family has been digging out quite a bit and making the material readily available through their rock shop, as well as online in the Cabs and Slabs - The Slab Depot Group on Facebook, where you can find family member, Leanne, selling each week.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
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This story is from the May 2020 edition of Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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MORGAN HILL POPPY JASPER
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THE ACORN
The briolette gemstone has the same design attributes of a regular gemstone, however, the pavilion is elongated and the crown is usually domed. This is perfect for an elegant pendant, earrings or a pendulum.
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To protect a specimen cab, often a cap is needed. In my case, I had a slab with the because of the color of the background and the pattern. This background had a more silicified consistency than most sandstones. It had no graininess like most sandstone, so I'm inclined to compare it to a jasper. The pattern was typical of a dendrite.
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Call in the Seals!
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