LIMB CASTS

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="1d200500dvldtc.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Swordfish Mining:   Virgin Valley Opal</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Swordfish Mining: Virgin Valley Opal"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="black_precious_opal.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BLACK OPALS">BLACK OPALS</A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DOMES">DOMES</A>   |   <A HREF="virgin_valley_precious_opal_mining_claims_from_the_miners_for_sale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CLAIMS">CLAIMS</A>   |   <A HREF="opal_from_nevada.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PRECIOUS OPAL">PRECIOUS OPAL</A>   |   <A HREF="what_we_do.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WIRE WRAPS, BEADS, JEWELRY">WIRE WRAPS, BEADS, & JEWELRY</A>   |   <A HREF="cut_stonestops_gemstones_cut_for_years__these_stones_have_all_been_displayed_in_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GEMSTONES">GEMSTONES</A>   |   <B>LIMB CASTS</B>   |   <A HREF="virgin_valley_wood_replacements.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PINE CONES BARK">PINE CONES & BARK</A>   |   <A HREF="precious_opal_snake_head_cast.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE SNAKE HEAD">THE SNAKE HEAD</A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GOODS">GOODS</A>   |   <A HREF="zincite_and_vulgarities.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MINERALS">MINERALS</A>   |   <A HREF="quartz_and_other_mineral_crystals_for_sale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CRYSTALS">CRYSTALS</A>   |   <A HREF="leah_and_john.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABOUT US">ABOUT US</A>   |   <A HREF="picture_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SWORDFISH PICS">SWORDFISH PICS</A>   |   <A HREF="the_sheldon.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CHARLES SHELDON NWR">CHARLES SHELDON NWR</A>   |   <A HREF="numbers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us">Contact Us</A>   |   <A HREF="map_to_virgin_valley_fee_digs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location">Location</A>   |   <A HREF="qa.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="QA">Q&A</A>   |   <A HREF="links_to_friendly_web_pages.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="LINKS">LINKS</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="045d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> 14 to 16 million year old fossilized Miocene forests resemble the John Day & Rattlesnake Formations. </div> <div> Swordfish Mining untreated Wood and precious opal slabs in stock.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0dcbd8e0.jpg" border=0 width="189" height="142" ALT="raw slabs for cutting, unpolished slices with a water saw never oil." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  large and varied assortment.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0d9bd8e0.jpg" border=0 width="189" height="142" ALT="Precious opal limb casts" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> LIMB CASTS</div> <div>      <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >Some twigs will totally replace just the wood. This may or not be solid opal. This limb is solid opal but has the wood structure remaining. Nice outside twig cast solid precious opal. Opal may be any color and pattern within the casts. Many museums have specimens in their collections as these have such a attractive wood look to the gemstones.</FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0ba09dc0.png" border=0 width="265" height="220" ALT="Opal limb cast to be sold to Harris when found" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >$300 Sold in England when found.</FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="15240f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALT="Blue green limbcast from my claim" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >$300 On display in the Winnemucca Convention Center.  This is a stop for mineral folks. We're a mining county and the display is some of the best mineral specimens mined locally and provided by the mine owners  themselves.</FONT></div> <bR> <div>     <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >This branch has bright color in big flashes on one face. Usually the color layer crosses at an angle and doesn't face up the widest exposure, but this one did. Nice flat pattern of blues and greens with a little red. Treated.</FONT></div> <bR> <div>      Potch and color limb casts make stunning case specimens. Limb casts are one of our most popular display items. Most need facing and preparation to try and determine species. Sold as pound pours or picks from a flat at a gem shows. Our total production of any kind of harder (not Bonanza Soft) opal limb casts is only a box or two a year. These are really nice opal limb replacements. Very uncommon in the retail stores.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="23d40f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALT="1/2 Conk Peacock Limb. Opal usually breaks through the best color." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">1/2 conk gem Peacock limb</div> <bR> <div>      Not all limbs have precious opal centers like this next gem slab. A better rough slab of this outstanding quality conk limb, full color top to bottom, front and back is available.  This particular slice was made into a bead which was stolen at Snyder's POW WOW Valley Springs, CA in May 2004. 1000$</div> <bR> <div> Also stolen was the matching bead to my pendant another 1,000 matrix bead, Yes if I ever see it I can match patterns to the one around my neck. <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="0bb25dc0.jpg" border=0 width="293" height="220" ALT="Conk Twig bead stolen in California along with my matching necklace bead. Thieves suck." ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Conk bead</FONT></div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >SWORDFISH MINING OFFERS  WILLOW AND LARCH LIMB CASTS:</FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="13540f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALT="Swordfish Willow or Larch branches some have fine fire, but not the majority" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Arial" >A Hard Opal coated Opalized wood limb cast. All surface features and growth rings with twig attachments. Claims have been sold and are being mined hard for gems not specimens.</FONT></div> <bR> <div>       Extra fine cast with a branch preserved coming off the bottom knot. No precious color in these that can be seen superficially on the surface. None are broken to just see if they are precious by us( most don"t). Some limbs show flashes of multi-color precious opal. This choice common one is $40 retail and is big for the twigs. Dark brown/black and cream wood centers showing the rings with glowing light blue opal coverings and cavity fillings. Some are made with precious opal through the wood or a multi-color grainfire (pinfire flash) replacement. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="14b40f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALT="Opal Willow and Larch Branches" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Choice Common Opal covered limbcasts. Some have small precious areas.</div> <bR> <div>      Small twigs (over 1/4" x 1") with one end polished to show the perfect preservation of the growth rings cost $5 dollars each.  One of the claims that they came from has been sold and the other one I am mining one for these is still for sale. They were wet to show the dark wood covered by blue and crystal opal. When treated with a sealer they appear wet even when dry. Sold dry by the piece or by the pound. I've cut several gemstones out of these. $30 LB mine run common opal limbs better cast than you've seen.</div> <bR> <div>      Petrified (Opalized) wood tailings (and some associated minerals such as gypsum veins and masses) go for $1 a pound or by the beer box (about 20 LBS not picked) or $3 LB pick of complete rounds, barks, and knots. Drums of common opal tailings wood are available. Shipping is not included in these low prices but can be arranged if you can't pick up.</div> <bR> <div>       Swordfish Mining's selected medium and large woods that are harder and the agate woods go for $2 LB to $5 a pound for collectors rounds and too cute pieces. Common wood tailings are .25 a pound.  There might be the occasional precious opal piece contained in these tailings but I sure don't expect it.</div> <bR> <div>      Twig and limb casts and branch rounds cost $3 LB poured. Larger logs $1-$2 LB by request. Display pieces with lichen are available. Commercial gem dig quality twigs and small branches mix at $10 LB for common woods, $30 LB better specimen casts of wood and opal, $75 LB for our rarer blue common opal covered twigs and up for individual specimens. These are Willow and Larch limb casts. Hundreds of the tiny opal & selenite twigs would go into a pound and not many pounds have been produced so far. So, the size selection is mixed with no just small pieces pounds. </div> <bR> <div>      Black common opal potch is priced at $15 an oz. (Smaller hard pieces not specimen limb casts.) A few well made specimen black potch opal limb casts are available and are sold by the piece as cabinet specimens for collectors. If it only shows red/orange crack fire it is unstable. Most black potch will not hold together. </div> <bR> <div>     Shipping and handling will be the minimum stated but it depends on the nature of your order and will be added to the price of your order. Oak Harbor and Reddaway trucking work out of local cities for large weights.</div> <bR> <div> Note: All text and photographs copyrights reserved by John Church.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Re-publication not for gain is permitted with proper URL credit given.</div> <div>  <img align=bottom src="http://www.thebook.com/cgi-bin/thebook/Counter1/Count.cgi?ft=0|tr=0|prgb=0;255;0|md=7|dd=B|st=333332|sh=1|df=virginvalleyopal_8_own.dat">  </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>