Snakes and Stones

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Rock python? :rofl:

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Hahaha! Thank you! I'm surprised it took 39 snakes before someone made that joke. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Hahaha! Thank you! I'm surprised it took 39 snakes before someone made that joke. :)

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Well this is the first one that really appeared to have the stone as part of his body. ;) Sorry I kept you waiting...:D

Photo #40
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ubyhxnrusv.jpg
Quartz-tumbled-backlit with LED flashlight.
Collected (by me) from Ruggles Mine, NH
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...s52wahg6r7.jpg
Photo of my gf taken just before the mine closed to the public.

Looks like a pretty cool place to explore. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Looks like a pretty cool place to explore. :cool:

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Definitely! My dad used to take me there as a kid in pursuit of rocks for my sisters tumbling habit--there were very few restrictions at that time and I had a good working knowledge of the mine shaft network.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f1ibhh0lws.jpg
Unfortunately over time more and more people had found ways to hurt themselves so they were forced to block off some of the passages.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ylct9umcus.jpg
Still enough areas left to explore in the later days though.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...k8r4rqm1cy.jpg
The last time I was there I also found it quite amusing that the cliffs held a large collection of raven nests. They are quite talkative.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ok68o8enzv.jpg
Bones of their victims could be found everywhere littering the ground--giving it a bit of a creepy vibe (especially if you are there in a small group). :)

Looks like the kind of places I'd be attracted to as well, lol. Sad when some ppl ruin it for others though. Ever find any snakes in there? -Maybe the ravens ate them all though?...:(

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Looks like the kind of places I'd be attracted to as well, lol. Sad when some ppl ruin it for others though. Ever find any snakes in there? -Maybe the ravens ate them all though?...:(

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I never found any snakes. As an adult I would visit in the colder fall months. When I was kid my family would visit in the summer there were would be a lot of people mining...I imagine the impact vibrations would make any snakes hide.

Photo #41
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...oavb2xat6m.jpg
After a while I can start to identify stones that are unlikely to tumble/polish well...I still take a shot at them, I get lucky every now and then.
These are not the lucky ones.
I photograph all the stones I tumble (good and bad). The better ones will be shown in Photo #83. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Photo #41...

After a while I can start to identify stones that are unlikely to tumble/polish well...I still take a shot at them, I get lucky every now and then.
These are not the lucky ones.
I photograph all the stones I tumble (good and bad). The better ones will be shown in Photo #83. :)

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They're all still interesting though- whether it's stones, snakes or even humans, we're all "diamonds in the rough" with unequal gifts- how boring it would be if all were the same. :cool:
And we don't all see them the same way anyhow.

Photo #42

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...rxhzuc54gz.jpg
Lepidolite: the stones may look rough in the photo, but, are in fact completely smooth. :)

Photo #43

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...lokb03j3lj.jpg
Stone pictured wet: Due to the excessive amounts of pits and the unstable nature of the material I did not polish this one.
Will make an interesting display piece if I add another fish tank. :)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ugwb5ii6gu.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...mwr6ija0zm.jpg

I like that rock! It's like someone did a lousy job of mixing the ingredients, but the texture is really cool. :D

Photo #44

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...t825krpfr2.jpg
African Green Opal (does not show opalescence), not to be confused with Australian Opal.
This type of stone is soft, difficult to work with (shatters), and can vary in quality significantly in quality.
(low quality pictured, higher quality in Photo #45)
I know a lot of Rock Tumbling enthusiasts steer clear of this material due to the difficulty and often poor results.
I do enjoy the challenge. :)

Preferred angle of the larger piece in natural light pictured below.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...wgf84j9vcq.jpg

Photo #45

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...l9dvfu8x3d.jpg
The snake pictured is clutchmate/brother to the girl in Photo #4.
All piebald produced from this particular clutch were high-whites. :)

Your pied looks wonderful in green, it so happens. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Your pied looks wonderful in green, it so happens. :gj:

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Thanks! African Green Opal with an African snake. :)

Photo #46

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...gxcowc74ij.jpg
Someone had asked me why I didn't put more stones in my photos.
The reason being: More stones = Less detail in each picture.
Can't even clearly identify the GHI Fire in this one.

Photo #47

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...uhxik4h7ir.jpg

Photo #48

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...loqow61xky.jpg
Some local granite I collected and tumbled from my area.
2020 hatchling in first shed. :)

Just so beautiful...:gj:

So these are rock pythons? [emoji16]


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Rock python? :rofl:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by weblizard

So these are rock pythons?

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Aha! Same joke twice in the same month! :D
It is going to be a 'classic' on this thread.
I'm certain we will see this one again. :)

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Aha! Same joke twice in the same month! :D
It is going to be a 'classic' on this thread.
I'm certain we will see this one again. :)

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:rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon:

Photo #49

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...bkeefkxpgs.jpg

Photo #50

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7onuqzdlic.jpg
Varied Quartz with pieces of Chyrsoprase shown.
Additional photos of the large piece of smokey quartz (from a different angle) added below. :)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...kn0culvlbr.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...j2wg2efpnv.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Aha! Same joke twice in the same month! :D
It is going to be a 'classic' on this thread.
I'm certain we will see this one again. :)

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Sorry, it was the first time I saw your photos.


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Originally Posted by weblizard

Sorry, it was the first time I saw your photos.

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No apologies. I find all the comments entertaining! :)

Photo #51

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...k9of2x1nj0.jpg

A stone collected from the CT River (landscape pictured below).

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/4pYlRnk.jpg

Photo #52
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...u7exgy637f.jpg
I produced 8 Leopard Ball Pythons in 2019, 7/8 were males, this was the only female.
The purple stones in this photo are Dalmation stones that have been dyed prior to tumbling.
This type of stone holds dye extremely well and can be purchased in almost any color.
Dalmation stone is notoriously difficult to shape/polish with a tumbler, but, I did not have any issue with it. :)

Lovely color combination...seems leopards & Dalmations run well together, eh? ;)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Lovely color combination...seems leopards & Dalmations run well together, eh? ;)

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Thanks! It does seem that way. :)

Photo #53

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...bryfxsyuwu.jpg
Some more Granite-esque rocks from my area.
The light orange colored ones are fairly rare so it took me a while to gather and tumble enough for this photo. :)

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

...The light orange colored ones are fairly rare so it took me a while to gather and tumble enough for this photo. :)

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Wow, so now we're getting the latest & custom-made arrangements? :sweeet:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Wow, so now we're getting the latest & custom-made arrangements?

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Hahaha, I wouldn't call them the 'latest' arrangements.
Most of the snakes in the 2020 tagged photos have grown much larger by now.
Once you start seeing the 2021 Copyright tag (example below) you will be into photos that are more recent. :)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...i0xdhpfz6o.jpg

Note: These two pieds are from Photos #4 and #45 (early 2020) and the photo above was taken today 4/26/21.

Photo #54

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qlecj0juxn.jpg
Milky quartz, this stuff is everywhere in my area.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...nhwrz4q0t9.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...4401cs0wbm.jpg

Photo #55
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1dsxvgq2kw.jpg
More Nipomo Marcasite in Agate (red) from California.
While I was taking these photos I noticed something hiding in one of the agate 'eyes' of the stone front/center.
I used the Microscope Macro mode on my camera to zoom in:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...uahnae1ozu.jpg

Pretty weird huh? :)

Photo #56

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...xsbbwladfl.jpg
More tiger eye, the camera flash illuminates some of the tips of the crystalline fiber structure--no avoiding it on some pieces...

Bonus photo below: clutch from a 12 year old female ball python.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ctx4yjak6b.jpg
I should have included something for scale with the photo as the eggs were a little over 5 inches long...sizeable hatchlings. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

...

Bonus photo below: clutch from a 12 year old female ball python.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ctx4yjak6b.jpg
I should have included something for scale with the photo as the eggs were a little over 5 inches long...sizeable hatchlings. :)

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Wow, 5"+ eggs? :O

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Wow, 5"+ eggs? :O

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Yes, I encountered significant difficulty incubating them. The size of the eggs resulted in the center creasing inward prematurely and squeezing the developing embryos to one side of the egg. I thought about leaving them alone and letting things 'play out', but, based on experience I decided against it. Long story short: Five eggs, six healthy hatchlings (yes, my snake math is accurate). :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Yes, I encountered significant difficulty incubating them. The size of the eggs resulted in the center creasing inward prematurely and squeezing the developing embryos to one side of the egg. I thought about leaving them alone and letting things 'play out', but, based on experience I decided against it. Long story short: Five eggs, six healthy hatchlings (yes, my snake math is accurate). :)

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Can't argue with 6 out of 5! :D

Photo #57
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...t5zm5ltmud.jpg
Not all stones will accept a polish.
The five small pieces in the center ring of this photo are actually pieces of Labradorite: While they are indeed polished: they lack the characteristic sheen, they are a by-product of a request I received to take a photo with a snake in shed displaying iridescence surrounded by high sheen Labradorite.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Not all stones will accept a polish.
The five small pieces in the center ring of this photo are actually pieces of Labradorite: While they are indeed polished: they lack the characteristic sheen, they are a by-product of a request I received to take a photo with a snake in shed displaying iridescence surrounded by high sheen Labradorite.

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Maybe a silly question Sorril but just to clarify, when you say not all stones will accept a polish, are you just talking about the sheen look of a polish? What I mean is, do the stones still have the smooth feel of a polished stone just without the shine, or do they still feel a little rough? I guess maybe a better way of asking is do different stones end up with different textures even using the same technique to polish them?

Hopefully that makes sense, it should be obvious that I have no idea what I'm talking about, just curious :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Hugsplox

Maybe a silly question Sorril but just to clarify, when you say not all stones will accept a polish, are you just talking about the sheen look of a polish? What I mean is, do the stones still have the smooth feel of a polished stone just without the shine, or do they still feel a little rough? I guess maybe a better way of asking is do different stones end up with different textures even using the same technique to polish them?

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Those are good questions. :)
The difference between polish and sheen, and how texture effects polish using different methods.

Polish - verb - To make something smooth or shiny by rubbing it.
Sheen - noun - A soft luster on a surface.

It is a fast rule (not 100% accurate) in rock tumbling that harder stones will accept a better polish, the tighter the grains/crystal formation the easier it is to get a shine on it and make it feel 'smooth'. Likewise: the larger the grains and pores--the more 'texture' a stone has and the harder it is to smooth out and thus acquire a polish (using tumblers that is). Some people who make jewelry have access to diamond grinding wheels and saws and can effectively grind down and polish many types of stones that would be impossible otherwise.

With regards to the term 'sheen': I used this because certain stones like Labradorite and Obsidian can have an embedded luster on their surface that does not rely on a polish. It is clearly more visible when wet.
Once a stone with a sheen is polished: it will usually keep its color.

For Example Gold Sheen Obsidian:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...gafwyaq9ni.jpg

Photo #58

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...0xsc7bwbtw.jpg
Labradorite can be a tricky stone to tumble.
It can be even trickier to photograph in a group.
I had to figure out a different technique to take this photo.
The material pictured is from Madagascar.
Took me a while to wait for a snake to reach the right point of shed to capture the iridescence with the labradorescence. :)

Wowza! That's a really cool photo! :gj:

That labrodite is an amazing colour, really brings the colour out on the python
Amazing photo too

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Awesome photos.


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10/10 beautiful picture!


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Thank you all for the compliments, they are appreciated!

Fun fact: I used 11 separate light sources for this photo.

Due to the fact that Labradorite is triclinic (three planes in which it can cleave-it has only two angles in which the sheen is brightly displayed): it took over 2500 photo attempts to capture all of these stones in the proper position/lighting while trying to hit the iridescence of the snake simultaneously.

As #58 is the most difficult I have taken to date...I do have more Labradorite, but, I am not eager to repeat the process. :)

There is an abandoned town near me that has been turned into a state park.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...gdtnzujvow.jpg

They built several roads into the park for utility vehicles.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...trv2jaxbhc.jpg

I found these odd brown textured rocks by the side of the road.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...xsrzpnk59f.jpg

I totally wasn't expecting them to look like this when polished:

Photo #59
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...xygvwj5nbm.jpg

Kinda looks like asbestos to me lol :)