Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - Agates Glow!
I love showcasing the beauty of my rocks and I haven't been doing it enough! It always feels like I'm always trying to do ten things at once so I have to pick and choose. Lately I've been choosing to watch TV instead of hanging out on the blockchain, but I think it's time to get going again. I would like to start sharing more than one rock a week so we'll see if time allows me to with all the other posts I want to work on! In case you're new to this, this post will lead up to what I consider amazing macro shots of one agate or gemstone as I give them an instant-shine so you can see the real beauty! Watch as I showcase all the beauty one little rock has to offer!
Lights Off
The smaller ones always glow the best! I didn't quite think the darker areas would glow but it's always nice to look at! Every rock is so unique in its own way that it's always a new experience when I look at them closely. Sometimes the bands don't show up at all when I put a light to it, so I think it's awesome when they're visible! This was one of the last agates I found for 2018 and I'm not sure what my biggest find is but I think I have a pretty good idea which one and I'll sh are that one soon!
You can click on the images to view full screen!!
You can click on the images to view full screen!!
Through the 60mm Macro Lens
Even though the agate glows, upon close inspection it doesn't all glow. There are dark areas that will not allow light to penetrate, but I'd say 95% of it glows!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
No Shine
Even without shine you can see this agate has a lot of character, making it hard to ignore when I found it. Even though it's small, I wasn't about to pass it up, so in my pocket it went! It's a little dirty but the oil will hide most of the dirt once I apply it!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
Through the 60mm Macro Lens
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
Shine
Love the shine in this. It really brings the depth of the gem out! I thought the back was going to be pretty bland but there is a design to it with swirls of red. The glowing section used to be my favorite part of an agate since tumbling them was such a long process, but being able to make them shine immediately gives me extreme satisfaction! If I were to sell an agate, showcasing it with a shine would surely get it sold faster.
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
Through the 60mm Macro Lens
Now for the best part! Macro shots cropped to show the most detailed parts of the image. It allows me to scale less and see more! It was a bit of a learning curve for me tonight. It's been 3 months since my last agate post, and that is way too long for me! I don't think I want to go that long without posting such nice macro shots again! Enjoy the view!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
How Big is it?
Precious Metal to go with Precious Rock! Nothing too fancy, just a copper penny!
Weight: 10.5 Grams / 0.37 Ounces
| Flashlight Settings | ISO 100 35 mm f/4.5 1/100 sec |
| Settings both Lights Off & On | ISO 800 55 mm f/5.6 1/50 sec |
| Camera | Nikon D3400 24 MP |
| Lens | AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR |
| Lens | AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm 1:2.8 G ED |
| Location | Superior, WI |
Fun Fact: I took a total of 128 pictures of this rock bring you the best quality! It takes me about 45 minutes to take the pictures, another 45 minutes to pick the best ones and re-scale them, plus another 20-30 minutes to make the post!
As I approach the 1000 SP mark I will be slowly delegating some more steem power to @rockhounds so that the #rockhound tag can have a dedicated voting account. Of course, I'll still be using my account to curate #rockhound and others, but as our little rockhound community grows it's inevitable that I'll be using the @rockhounds post to make a first intro sooner than later! A discord for #rockhound is in the works as well! Looking forward to sharing agates with you all this year!
Here's a giant glowing rock for you! it's a bit cloudy tonight, so you just get a haze!
You can click on the image to view full screen!!
Thanks for stopping by! God Bless!
Rocks from 2018
good for viewing, not for voting!
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - An Artistic Agate?
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - 17 Bulls Eyes in One!
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - The One Eyed Agate
Rockhounding at work this past week
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - Bands All Around
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - Macro Bands
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - Little Bubble Agate
May 2018
[Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - May Rocks](https://steemit.com/rocks/@bitfiend/lake-superior-rocks-and-gems-may-rocks
April 2018
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - April Rocks
March 2018
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - March Rocks
February 2018
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - February Rocks
January 2018 and Beyond
Lake Superior Rocks & Gems - January Rocks [and 2017]
When I joined Steemit I made the decision to always Power-Up my earnings. For now, payouts are set to 50/50 but you bet I will convert & Power Up! Besides internal transfers, I have never cashed out and don't plan on it! Power-Up only!
Please Consider @comedyopenmic for witness!
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Few people could make a rock look this cool. Like they've got some reflector in them.
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Sometimes I can just stare at one and get lost in it! There's so much to see, and sometimes I wish I could get closer. Like much, much closer! I wonder what kind of camera I would need for that.
You're a lucky man, that agate is beautiful. orange is one of my favorite colors and this stone is perfect. I love the texture too. Congrats!
Thanks maybe one day I can start giving them away so that others can have a piece of Lake Superior Agate!
That would be great :)
Holy moly what a far out agate!! So small
yet so beautiful!! Awesome find and fantastic
photos @bitfiend!! :-)
Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it! I always feel accomplished after one of my agate posts and find myself getting lost in the pictures lol
The light really shows off the beauty of your rocks and didn't know agates could glow like that.
Glad I could show it to you! It was about 3 or 4 summers ago now that I was looking at an agate up close with my phone's camera light when suddenly I noticed it glowed a little. I put the phone down and placed the agate over the light and it lit up like a light bulb. I was like :O It had thick bands so as I slid the agate back and forth against the light, the light would jump around as each band was its own chamber. Ever since then I put a light to all my agates and gems just to see what it does.
I suppose each one is different and it depends on the quality of the stone. The better the quality the better the glow or is that wrong in my thinking?
Not sure about quality, I just know that if I can get it to glow, it's a gem. I think Jasper is a gemstone too but I could be wrong and I've never gotten one to glow unless it had a quartz vein in it. Some of the thicker and bigger rocks won't glow so I think the smaller it is, the easier it will glow.
Hi bitfiend,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Thank you @curie! Always appreciated!
What a nice surprise of nature. Nice shots 👍👏 nice colors
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The second and third to last pictures didn't stand out til I gave it a shine!
yes nice idea
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Nothing like a banded agate. Fascinating that some of the patterns are similar to gas cloud bands on Jupiter!
Shut the TV and start posting more rocks! Great post. Thanks.
Yeah you're right! I didn't consider that til you mentioned it, great observation!
Nice! It reminds me vaguely of one I have.
Amazing piece of nature sor sure it was surreal seeing it up close a thing of beauty indeed.
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Thanks for stopping by and checking it out! Stay tuned for more :)
Wow! This completely blew my mind!! There is so much beauty in this rock, I wonder why I know very little about such beautiful and interesting thing as a rock. It really is amazing
The glow was just fascinating! that vibrant color it gives off and the little patterns it shows within is just sooo cooool!!! I just can't stop looking at those...
And the shine? Really amazing... I love love that glow.
Even the one with no shine did an amazing job in showing all those details that one might not necessarily see one the first look. There is a "little world" in there.
It amazing how viewing this rock with different techniques produces a different (and appealing) result. Isn't it just beautiful?
I think this post just ignited my interest in rock, the "rock world" seems to be one filled with interesting and fascinating things. These rocks are no doubt gems! Maybe someday, I would get to explore these rocks and get even more fascinated by mire finds... And if I don't, well, I will have to stick to seeing someone else's finds..😀
Thanks for stopping by @audreybits I'm glad you enjoyed it! It looks like you're in Jos, Nigeria? Upon a quick search it seems you may be able to find some gemstones on the Jos Plateau. Many gems are only found in specific regions, such as the agate I showed you above, is a Lake Superior Agate. (LSA). It can only be found in areas near Lake Superior but I am willing to bet there are plenty of interesting gems to be found around you as well! If you find anything interesting, be sure to make a post about it! Just look for rocks with character!
It's time for me to get out there and explore then!!! Thank you so much for taking that extra step to check up the availability of the gemstones around here...
The agate seems to be a precious one, I hope to lay my hands on it someday. But before then, I will be on the lookout for some interesting ones here...
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