Snakes and Stones

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Originally Posted by nikkubus

I really like that particular stone. It has a lot of character.

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Thanks! :)

Photo #97

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...xd0u1uxlap.jpg
Shown: A Hypomelanistic Ball Python with Quartz (grouped up the blue-ish pieces together) and plain colored Quartzite. Quartzite is a composite of Sandstone incorporated into Quartz.
I did not know what Quartzite was and while collecting I was unable to tell the difference between Yellow Quartz with a weathered rind (Photo #92) vs. Quartzite...I ended up tumbling a bunch of plain colored stones lol.

As for the quartz pieces: they had some gold colored streaks on the surface pre-tumble (shown below). I was hoping the metallic color was pyrite....it was not...disappeared in tumble.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...haiumiwp7b.jpg
I showed this photo to my 'rock buddies' and they said the gold color was not metal, but, a type of organic matter...disappointment...

Who knew rocks were so "complicated"? Thanks for sharing your knowledge-

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Who knew rocks were so "complicated"? Thanks for sharing your knowledge-

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You are welcome!

I always found geology boring because I had no practical application for it. I wouldn't exactly call tumbling/polishing rocks a 'practical application', however, identifying new sources of material is enough to spur my interest.

In other news: I just hatched three 'proof clutches' to confirm if some of my 66% Het females were 100% Het. All three clutches (HO x 66% Pos. Het) had more than enough hatchlings to statistically prove their mothers Non-Hets...DOH! Normally I would be pretty disappointed, but, I have the day off from work today-so I'm cool with it...good to know...

Photo #98

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...gy0xgtuitr.jpg

When I first started tumbling rocks: My girlfriend was angry that was taking up a 'kids hobby'. She demanded to know what I was going to do with the finished product: "Are we just going to have piles of rocks laying around the house???"
At the time I was trying to figure out some sort of props to use with my snakes for photos...so I told her that I would use them for that purpose. She didn't believe me and asked for a 'proof of concept'. I produced this photo below...the very first Snakes and Stones photo.

Photo #99

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...unboqgdbtc.jpg
Pastel Het Clown with some Carnelian Agate, and a few random stones thrown in.

Photo #100

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...z4wxpsiwog.jpg

A Black Pastel with Firework Obsidian from Mexico.
Firework obsidian is considered one of the more difficult materials to tumble/polish. I read it was for someone with 'advanced' tumbling skills...had to try it. ;)
Of the rough material I started with: I separated out the 'lighter' and 'darker pieces'. Shown above are the darker pieces.

There was an odd piece of rough material in the bag to start with (shown below). I later learned it is some Asteroid Jasper that snuck in.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7o0h9tufbq.jpg

Note: As we are only at photo #100 (100 individual snakes shown so far) and my 2021 clutches are hatching reliably: I may increase the frequency of my Snakes and Stones photos to catch up to this year. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

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Note: As we are only at photo #100 (100 individual snakes shown so far) and my 2021 clutches are hatching reliably: I may increase the frequency of my Snakes and Stones photos to catch up to this year. :)

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I feel sure that we can all adapt okay -thanks for the "warning". :D

Photo #101

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...9i3o9dhayd.jpg

Super Pastel Lesser Het Axanthic--She had a slow start because she is a poor eater/high anxiety, her clutch-mates are easily 3X her size.

Photo #102

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...hqroln9aqf.jpg

Orange Ghost adult with a piece of dendritic agate/chalcedony.
Even though the female is about 5 years old you can see just a little bit of the orange in the head.
My 'normal' expression OG's have no yellows/orange as adults and look like regular Hypos.

Breeders Note 7/21/21: Half the eggs in my time lapse Clutch# 4 started to die in the last few days prior to hatch (Day 57). The remaining four are hatching normally (three are out). 50% mortality in one of my clutches is the worst I've seen in years. So, my question is: What happened? I know my time lapse incubator has slightly shaky temps due the heat generated from lighting/cameras/overall lower insulation value. Upon necropsy of the failed eggs I see that the snakes are not well formed. It appears they are what I would expect for three weeks of growth. My records shows a matching time frame where there was both a heat wave and a power outage for aprox. 24hrs., with no electricity and no ambient air conditioning the eggs went slightly above 92F. Even though the eggs did not die immediately...it seems their development was interrupted.
Had I not dissected the failed eggs I would have wondered if cutting the eggs at the first sign of trouble would have helped, and the answer is 'no' it would not. This is one of those situations where a brief lapse in incubation conditions shows up at the very end.
Just thought I'd share. :)

Photo #103

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

Super Lesser, and brighter colored firework obsidian.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Photo #103

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

Super Lesser, and brighter colored firework obsidian.

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Very well-named obsidian...and :bow: for all of the above.

2021 - Clutch #4 Time Lapse Video :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTcK6Z-SRV0

Wow, that last one was a nail-biter, more ways than one! ;) Sorry for your losses, but so so very happy for the ones you got! I'd have cut that last egg too- :gj: And I'm not much for cutting any eggs, but that, sure. Thanks for sharing, very interesting.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Wow, that last one was a nail-biter, more ways than one! ;)

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Thanks! I can't believe I got nailed by a ball python still in the egg-that was a first...even managed to draw a tiny bit of blood. :P

The good news is that I only put my non-project related eggs in my time lapse incubator (just in case). My regular incubators don't have to deal with the camera and lighting-they are hatching close to 100%
(e.g. Clutch#5 hatched today 7/25/21 shown below).

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...8prijubebe.jpg

Photo #104
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...8ieenx8vf3.jpg
Imperial Topaz/Topaz from Brazil.
The interesting thing about stones that are traditionally used for faceting is that they usually have high optical clarity.
This same optical clarity makes my polished stones look cloudy because you can see all of the internal inclusions without obstruction. :rolleyes:

As for the ball python in Photo #104, my first guess would have been a 'low expression' Orange Dream, however, a quick check of my records show this as a 50% Possible Het Albino...surprise-surprise...I'm glad I keep good records...;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

Thanks! I can't believe I got nailed by a ball python still in the egg-that was a first...even managed to draw a tiny bit of blood. :P ...

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Surprises are what keeps it interesting, living with snakes. :snake: It will be interesting to see if that one remains such an independent little soul, eh?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Surprises are what keeps it interesting, living with snakes. :snake: It will be interesting to see if that one remains such an independent little soul, eh?

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One could look at it that way. :)

Photo #105

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...lffi1avfgu.jpg

Carnelian Agate (from multiple sources), with a Pastel Het Lavender Albino.

Fun fact: I have never tumbled Carnelian. Carnelian lacks the banding that Carnelian Agate has...:)

Photo #106
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...relhudqg09.jpg
Fire Het Clown with Chalcopyrite in a quartz matrix.
Chalcopyrite is Copper Iron Sulfide with copper being the largest component. When it tarnishes it takes on a rainbow-like color and is often referred to as Peacock Ore.

Fun Fact: There are four types of stones that I learned to dread tumbling/polishing:
#1 Dinosaur Gizzard Stones (they smell super bad-almost identical to a snake regurge...)
#2 Coprolite (fossilized dinosaur poop, stink bomb strong-sulfur odor)
#3 Chalcopyrite (forms thick greenish-grey goop, slight sulfur scent, and it permanently stains everything it touches-including the outer layer of skin on your hands)
#4 Red Hematite-Iron Oxide (thick red slurry-visually unappealing-tumbling barrels look like the elevator scene from 'The Shining')

:)

Photo #107
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...etuqll8kqc.jpg
Spider Black Pastel and a piece of Blue Tiger Eye.
My gf refers to this stone as the 'piece of blueberry pie'. :)

Great photos as always, but I shall forever treasure your descriptive "fun facts". I had NO idea.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Great photos as always, but I shall forever treasure your descriptive "fun facts". I had NO idea.

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Thanks!

Photo #108
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...d4swk7xayb.jpg
Emeralds in a Smokey Quartz matrix with Milky/White Quartz.

I work with six recessive genes in my collection...this snake has one guaranteed Het, but, three additional are possible. :)

Photo #109
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7fwqilb1cg.jpg
Some rocks have layers (like ogres), and one can't be certain what the rock is until you remove the outer weathered layer. I find myself tumbling too many of these Quartzite-type stones (I collect in my area). If I had more time/energy I would buy a wet tile saw with a sintered diamond blade and grind off the edge of one to see what it was inside prior to tumbling...some day...

I like the patterning on this GHI, I planned on keeping this one, but, one of my friends saw this photo and had to have her...

I've been told the snake looks 'blue' in the photo. I don't see it. I do see harsh reflection on the black scales from the camera flash. :)

Photo #110
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...htdasqxtoz.jpg
Shown above is a 50% Het Albino.
The reduced patterning prompted me to add Enchi over the years and the result is some very clean examples.

The stone above is form the aptly named 'Snake River' in the Western USA, it is reminiscent of Confetti Jasper (but, it is not). The snake river and tributaries can be found in six states (Washington, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Nevada), all of these states are known for having interesting rocks due to volcanic activity. I purchased a big box of random material from a guy in Idaho that he hand-picked. I have only tumbled a few of the 'smaller' pieces from the box, most of the stones are rather large and I have to expend the considerable effort to break them up (hammer/chisel) prior to tumbling. :)

Last Fall I was examining a geological map of the area around my house and I found a note that there was an abandoned soapstone quarry a few miles from my house.
I looked at a recent map and there was a little-used trail to the site.
Apparently someone felt it needed a bit of flare (shown below).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...smlqikqfiy.jpg
Moving on to the quarry I was displeased to find the entire area filled with water and some areas with rusty barbed wire fence.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...tvtocqebsq.jpg
Someone had begun to dig a mining pit, but, had stopped. I checked the pit out and all I found was shale (which is extremely common in my area).
Unwilling to leave empty-handed, I collected some lighter colored pieces.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...x1joyf1ben.jpg
Shale is a composite of minerals including Clay and Quartz and having an overall Mohs hardness rating between 2-4 (you can snap it with your fingers). Shale can be shaped in a tumbler if you are really careful, but, polishing a soft sedimentary rock it is like trying to get a polish on sandpaper, grains break off and you can never quite achieve your goal. I have read of someone successfully polishing shale using an industrial laser, but, I don't have one of those handy... Of the pieces shown above only two made it to the polish stage and neither one took a real shine. I showed my feline friend one of the pieces, he was clearly impressed that I made it that far in the process...
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...xbmqxgu2si.jpg
The real problem with the Shale is that I try to photograph all of my stones and these two pieces of shale killed the aesthetics of almost any group or configuration I used them in. An analogy would be like trying to make soup when your main ingredient is lemons...so I figured I would just throw in some odds and ends I've been having trouble matching and make a big ole' mish-mash of random pieces that have been kicking around. The result is not surprising.

Photo #111
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...3ek98f4lon.jpg
Even the Black Pastel is not sure what to make of it.
In retrospect I should have taken the shale pieces and used them in a separate photo by themselves rather than trying to do a group shot.
At least I can say I tumbled Shale now, cross that stone off the list and mark it as 'never again'...:D

I still think your shale variety photo turned out really nice even if going just shale would have maybe been easier or better. I suppose if it was me (I'm not the most artistic person, but from time to time I try out things and they turn out well), I probably would have used my adult Enchi Puma because the way her color goes from bright at the dorsal to really light offwhite at the lower sides, it has a "dry" appearance at the bottom that might tie in nicely with the not-so-perfectly-polished look of the shale.

I absolutely don't blame you for not wanting to go through that kind of polishing phase again :bow:I admire you for having the patience to do it at all.

Photo #112
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...pncap2cejm.jpg
Spider Black Pastel with some assorted agates (various locations), a little bit of shed starting on her head.
I had to underexpose the photo to prevent the stones from reflecting the camera flash. Agate can take a mirror-like polish and is a classic material among those who tumble/polish stones.

Fun fact: Agate can be found all over the world and comes in every color imaginable. Certain types of agate will readily accept dye and can be turned from a plain colorless piece into a patterned beauty. Dyed agate slices and book ends are commonly sold in many different stores as display pieces. UV light will often degrade the dye over time and reveal the original stone. Not every piece of agate comes out well during the dying/cutting process. The left overs (an example shown below) are often sold to hobbyists for various lapidary projects. :)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ate_xp7com.jpg

Photo #113

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...maqrmyjyno.jpg
Chalcedony (brown), Feldspar (blue), Picasso Jasper (green), Orange Dream Het Ghost (brown/black/orange).

Side Story: For a while I was purchasing several boxes a week of assorted stones from a guy who owns a rock shop in California...he was charging me just a little over the cost of shipping. There was a real mix of material he sent in each box (I still haven't opened about many of the boxes), some of them were scraps from projects, and others were broken pieces or material that he couldn't sell, but, one of the boxes had just a big grey stone sitting in it with some faded marks. Sure, I was only paying shipping, but, I was a bit peeved to receive a boring old grey rock. I broke some pieces off and tumbled them and they are actually the nice green picasso jasper you see above...never seen it before in the rough form...never would have guessed it...:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

...Side Story: For a while I was purchasing several boxes a week of assorted stones from a guy who owns a rock shop in California...he was charging me just a little over the cost of shipping. There was a real mix of material he sent in each box (I still haven't opened about many of the boxes), some of them were scraps from projects, and others were broken pieces or material that he couldn't sell, but, one of the boxes had just a big grey stone sitting in it with some faded marks. Sure, I was only paying shipping, but, I was a bit peeved to receive a boring old grey rock. I broke some pieces off and tumbled them and they are actually the nice green picasso jasper you see above...never seen it before in the rough form...never would have guessed it...:)

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What a nice surprise! I wonder if he knew what it was "inside"? Either way, you scored! :gj:

Ooohhh, this is another of my favorites. I love the color combo and the patterns in the stones are incredible. You always know the perfect snake to put with the stones, I'm telling you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

What a nice surprise! I wonder if he knew what it was "inside"? Either way, you scored! :gj:

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I'm pretty sure he knew what the material was: all I can think is that if he sent me a big chunk of it in the mail then he probably filled an entire pickup truck bed full of this material...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nikkubus

Ooohhh, this is another of my favorites. I love the color combo and the patterns in the stones are incredible. You always know the perfect snake to put with the stones, I'm telling you.

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Thanks! Having a nice looking snake is always helpful as well...:)

In other news: 2021 photos are looking great so far! As always some of them are looking better than others as I experiment with various patterns. I'm tempted to wait and see what I hatch out first to pair better with matching rocks for my photos, but, I was recently recruited by a large company (aggressively...$++) and I start my new role at the end of the month so I am working on taking as many pictures as possible in my current 'free time'.

We should start to see the 2021 photos in this thread in a few weeks.

Photo #114
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1fke2gskzb.jpg
Pastel (shy) with an unusually high blush, 50% possible Het for Axanthic.
Brazilian agate and Polychrome (aka Desert) Jasper from Madagascar.
Certain stones are great for rock tumbling beginners: most agates and jaspers take a polish with minimal skill/effort.
There are some venerable lapidary artists that only work with agates and jaspers and proclaim themselves 'the best' at rock tumbling. I think it is cute...:P

Photo #115

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ked_mu7byp.jpg
Super Black Pastel Spider with some Dalmation stone dyed purple.
This is my first Super Black Pastel morph I produced with zero defects.

Photo #116
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ox3xx7pscb.jpg
BP in blue: Double Het, Lavender Albino/Clown (aka Grail)

The stone in Photo #116 was part of a bet between my gf and I. The conditions of the bet were: that she could pick any stone in my pending inventory and if I could not tumble it smooth and polish it then I could not collect/buy any more rocks until it was completed or until all rough rocks in my collection were tumbled and polished. In the event that I won the challenge: then I could get another tumbler (without argument/attitude--which is nice).
She had a lot of choices...picture below represents a small part of my collection.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...475xcwvkdk.jpg
My gf originally examined a large piece of green-blue Fluorite with several layers of thick white quartz banding, and then a large piece of Angelite (Calcium Sulfate) that was flaking apart on the outer layer due to passive deterioration (it does not like humidity/water). I don't think I could have successfully polished either of those stones. Luckily she decided against those two because 'They should be easy to tumble because they are solid all the way through'. She eventually decided upon the piece of quartz above because it was irregular, fractured, and pitted--her reasoning was that it would break apart in the tumbling process or pit endlessly in polish. Of course when she picked a piece of Quartz my thought was 'Which tumbler should I buy?" Since then she has passively absorbed a lot of knowledge and I know she would never make the same mistake twice. :)

Photo #117
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...mufb2ao0qc.jpg
A low expression Orange Dream-66% Het Orange Ghost and some rocks I collected from the Connecticut river. The orange feldspar-granite pictured was tricky to polish.

Side story: I went on a rock hunting expedition by myself this week in an obscure area of New Hampshire.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...tNH_jrncqy.jpg
I found some interesting orange/pink granite.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ite_nt6vmw.jpg
It may not look like much, but, I can tell it will be neat when it is tumbled/polished. It will not look the same as the granite in Photo #117.

Of course, trudging through the dense forest on a dry creek bed...I was planning on wrestling black bears and/or climbing trees to escape rampaging moose infected with brainworms, but, thankfully this guy (shown below) is the most fearsome creature I encountered-this time. :P
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...dit_q1cmdx.jpg
I also found a lot of neat fungi in my journey...as someone with a Biology background...I couldn't resist including at least a few photos. :)
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sh1_npkx8v.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sh2_wxyvzp.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sh3_aa8ixm.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

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

Of course, trudging through the dense forest on a dry creek bed...I was planning on wrestling black bears and/or climbing trees to escape rampaging moose infected with brainworms, but, thankfully this guy (shown below) is the most fearsome creature I encountered-this time. :P
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...dit_q1cmdx.jpg
I also found a lot of neat fungi in my journey...as someone with a Biology background...I couldn't resist including at least a few photos. :)
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sh1_npkx8v.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sh2_wxyvzp.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sh3_aa8ixm.jpg

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Neat looking area- That you were "planning on wrestling black bears and/or climbing trees to escape rampaging moose infected with brainworms"-? :rofl::rofl::rofl: Glad you got off "easy".

I can sure appreciate the "neat fungi"- reminds me, many years ago on a hike I found what looked like a large pancake (even the color!) that appeared to have flown into the side of a large tree as if thrown hard like a frisbee. No end of interesting things in nature.

I know some breeders consider it a rarity: I've found that split clutches from different male ball pythons are not uncommon.

Time Lapse video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbdKSr3r5aw&t=200s

Photo #118
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...s3bx9whqdw.jpg
Spider Black Pastel with Marcasite carrying Agate. Agates take a high polish and photographing a bunch of odd shaped pieces with inclusions is a bit tricky.
I had to underexpose the photo so you could actually see the stones and not the glare from the camera flash.

Photo #119

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...cglex2n8sb.jpg
A Lesser with some gnarly Brazilian Agate.

Photo #120

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qrmtweohrc.jpg
Another Het Clown/Pos. Het Lavender Albino and some river rocks from my home area. I suspect the stones with a little red are actually from the mid-west USA.

Fun fact: If I was to intercross my Het Clowns/Pos. Het Lavender Albino offspring my statistical odds of producing a Lavender Albino Clown (Grail) would be:
(1/4 chance of producing Clown)*(1/2 chance of male being Het for Lavender Albino)*(1/4 chance of producing Lavender Albino)*(1/2 chance of female being Het for Lavender Albino)=1/64

Photo #121
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...dkvily8fiq.jpg
My gf walked by as I was uploading this photo and says 'I know those stones, those are from the gardens in the back. They are ugly. Don't you have nicer stones to tumble?'.
Yes, yes, everyone is a critic...:P
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...zed_khzkxc.jpg

Photo #122
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...bxsb91stt6.jpg
Really bright yellow on this Pastel ball python.
If you saw her fused dorsal band segments and guessed Het for Clown: you would be right.

Shown with some Sagenitic Agate.

What is Sagenitic Agate?
Definition of Sagenitic: containing Sagenite (thanks)
Definition of Sagenite: containing similar acicular crystals (...)
Definition of Acicular: chiefly of crystals, needle shaped (ok)
So: Agate that contains similarly shaped needle-like crystals. :)

Photo #123
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...mu3efoqzsy.jpg
Enchi, Rose Quartz, Jade, Yellow Quartz.

Photo #124
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1ef69qx6cd.jpg
Spider Black Pastel with some clean Chalcedony.
The stones pictured sort of look like glass, and while they are both mainly composed of Silica, unlike glass: chalcedony is composed of microscopic interlocking crystals (which gives it epic durability).
Chalcedony is a broad term that is used for materials that contain microcrystalline quartz. It is one of those terms that says 'Yeah, I sorta know what this is, but, I'm not going to pretend to be specific'. :D
Chalcedony often has material embedded in the matrix. Upcoming photos #126, and #129 are chalcedony with inclusions.

Fun fact: There is a decorative type of glass known as Chalcedony-glass, it was invented in Venice, Italy in the 15th century and used metal additives to the glass to imitate chalcedony colors. It was popular for a few centuries and then the technique was lost/forgotten. Of note: the techniques used to create Chalcedony glass at the time exposed the user to highly toxic chemicals including mercury vapor and arsenic and it would not be unreasonable to assume this is why it was discontinued. The technique of creating Chalcedony glass using a special metallic paste would be re-invented in the late 1800's with 'somewhat' greater care taken in its formulation.

Photo #125
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...poxj3qdvkc.jpg
Pastel/100% Het Lav Albino, and some root beer agates (likely from Jalama Beach, CA).

Photo #126
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...kucwzdqwpi.jpg

Photo #127
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f66m9uzu3v.jpg
I used the white/red color scheme before. It is nice for contrast.
Shown above: product of a proof cross: a Wild Type or 'Normal' as people refer to them in this forum. :)

Note: There are 137 photos of unique ball pythons/stones in my 2020 set.

Photo #128
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...kqkm9u9ia3.jpg
Occasionally certain minerals will form clusters like a clump of grapes, this is called a Botryoidal formation. Some botryoidal formations are very impressive, but, even the lower quality ones are often valued. To the horror of geologists: I share no fondness for low quality botryoidal formations, and they get sent through my tumblers. ;)

Photo #129
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...i0d7n5uiev.jpg
Older Enchi with more chalcedony.

Photo #130
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...basdxrm1oe.jpg
Superfly: he is about 2 years old in this photo...not very large for his age.
He was a nervous hatchling and not the most reliable eater. He calmed down towards the end of last year and has since doubled his size.

Photo #131
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...uvaeo1bjcq.jpg
GHI with some Leland Blue Slag Glass (MI) and Banded Obsidian from Davis Creek (CA).

History of Leland Blue: https://www.lelandmi.com/about/leland-blue-stones.html
I managed to acquire a chunk of it (super cheap-bonus).
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...qcqjayc5vr.jpg
When I split the piece for tumbling rough-pressurized gases trapped inside released explosively firing splinters in all directions. The extent of damage to my leather gloved hands was significant. Luckily I was wearing eye protection and the splinters that were protruding from my gloves and face were easy to remove: skin glue ftw.

Here is an example of a rough piece.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...mxiolsjnkt.jpg
Not the easiest tumbling material. :) I think I did pretty good with it.
Photo #132 will be all Leland Blue.

Photo #132

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...i4pz1yirvr.jpg
This is one of the first ball pythons I hatched. She is over a decade old (closer to two).

Photo #133
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1hdrv9bdzb.jpg
A chunk of smokey quartz backlit with a candle with another one of my oldest females.

Photo of the stone in natural light below.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...khch6brwrv.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lord Sorril

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Photo of the stone in natural light below.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...khch6brwrv.jpg

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Gee, that Leland Blue is pretty dangerous to work with- even though it turns out really nice, it's a shame that it really did a number on your right hand. ;) :D