Rockhounding for Pink Opal in the Washington Scablands

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

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[@thegatesofdawn...1386]

Sarah's big find is nice!

[@thegatesofdawn...1386]

Pinkish. Good enough!

[@travishurd7619]

I recognized exactly where your at! Didnt released that stuff was in that area

[@elizabethvandeventer5487]

I’m cleaning my newly acquired stones as I’m watching you. Then to the hardware to pick up some wet sand paper to start polishing!! Love your videos, I learn a lot from you both! ❤

[@TheRockHugger]

Rad video man, happy I could share a spot with ya!! Cheer from The Rock Hugger

[@TheRockHugger]

Also thank you for the shout outs! I appreciate the boost in getting going. :)

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Hey we had a great day out there, I wish you could of joined us.

[@TheRockHugger]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Looks like it was a great day for rockhounding and you two found some awesome pink opal and more! Happy I could share something cool!

[@Sapphire-ze7vw]

I live in Central Washington and am ALWAYS looking for new spots to rockhound. I feel the need to travel hours away to find anything but you guys are giving me hope that i could look closer to home. Any general tips on locations around here to start looking?? :) thanks guys for the videos!!

[@churlburt8485]

there is a pink rock in the Rattlesnake mts north of Sunnyside, Wa. I am sure that it is on public ground, but a local rancher thinks that it is his. GPS does not lie. It was mined, then cover several years ago. The rock was used to make surgical cutting tools.

[@RootsRocks]

Oh my word, your bucket handle idea is genius!!!! I have to try it.

[@kellyharper367]

Old Disabled House Bound Dusty Rusty Rockhound here: Lovely pink stuff!

[@savagesquirrel9828]

Wow...that was quick. Amazing that it is pet wood...so jewel-like!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Sara has a good eye for things.

[@isabellavalencia8026]

That huge piece you dug out looks pretty amazing right off the bat!

[@rebeccaofsunnybrookefarm8469]

Oh wow... I'd live to work with the common opal in the lapidary shop.. Super envious

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I plan on making some cabs with this stuff in the future.

[@paulcarder8032]

Great finds! I'd like to see one of those slabs you cut polished!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I plan on doing just that with them.

[@michelleangers342]

It's beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@GSProspecting]

wow that was a great day out fam. keep up the hunt. GOLD SQUAD OUT!!!

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

I enjoyed your enjoyment of some great discoveries! Almost felt like I was there with you. Those pink colors are really something. The common opal I've found in the Oregon desert have been yellow and root beer brown. So funny to watch you haul Laika across the bridge! Thanks for a great time!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you. I think most of what we have here is that yellow, green, and brown common opal that's kind of crusty most of the time.

[@angelk9966]

I live here and have been picking this rock up forever, but I had no idea what it was. Thank you I’m going to take some kiddos out there tomorrow. 😊

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

There's lots of really amazing rocks in central Washington.

[@RoxnDox]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Stuff that derived from the local basalt magmas. Stuff that was scraped off of Canadian bedrock by ice sheets and dropped as they melted back. Stuff that was washed down from the Rockies when Glacial Lake Missoula busted loose in the mega floods that created the Channeled Scablands. So lots and lots of different source area for interesting rocks!

[@Sapphire-ze7vw]

This looks like my towns surrounding areas. Love it!

[@webdevnoobie]

Great location, great stuff you found. Another place for my growing list of rockhounding locations that I want to visit.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I hope you got a long list going!

[@webdevnoobie]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding It's very long at this point lol, so many rocks and crystals, so little time...

[@val.OG1]

Love this video! I want to go here. I think with those little “red” pieces, they could be polished and wire wrapped and make some nice jewelry ❤️❤️

[@chalcedonyclapper1216]

That big chunk looks like it has wood grain. Really neat stuff!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Yeah I believe it to be opalized wood.

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Cool!

[@patriciamckean4186]

Poor Laika....afraid of that bridge. Great opals, that vibrant dark pink was awesome. SARA's find was huge. Nice hunt!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Ha, shes a big baby.

[@michaelstrong3634]

Cool finds. Thanks for sharing. Happy thanksgiving to you and you family

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@mwilson14]

Lika is such a sweet dog. I loved getting to meet you, Sara and your dog. I obviously love animals and they love me too. :)

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

She is sweet but she can also be such a big baby about things. It was also great meeting you. Come spring we need to do some rockhounding!

[@mikedodge3910]

Very cool finds! Thank you for sharing!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thanks for stopping by to watch.

[@dianakenealy8573]

I live in Omak Wash. East side of the state. Close to central Wash. Thank you for the videos . Just needed to learn from a great teacher. You fit the bill!! Thanks again and Rock On!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you! Also Omak has some really nice stuff around it.

[@dianakenealy8573]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding yes and live on the Rez here has some wild things that I have no idea what I've found . Of course this is where good videos help. I have what at first look like rocks until I start to clean them and swear its snake head. I'm trying to learn what to do to know if I toss or ??? my grandsons great great grandpa was Chief James. Colville Tribe has million plus acres so can't even think of what lays in rock beds here and rivers here (plus all the history here) because I get all wanting to go search every inch. Rocks to me are one of nature's silent story tellers. Rock on and keep up the teaching. Respectfully, Student who's loving to learn more and have Always struggled in school and still do at some things. You help make it easier. Thx again. Rock On!!

[@hilario6960]

Very nice finds. Thanks for sharing

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Yeah I'm looking forward to working some of that material.

[@j.ericswede7084]

Great Rockhound trip! It took me about 7 minutes to find where you were digging! I should have majored in Geography as I love Google Earth. But, respecting the efforts of Rockhounds like yourself and The Rock Hugger, who have come before me, I will divulge it to no one. On the other hand, I will be traveling there to find my own opal treasures of Central Washington. #MumIsTheWord

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Most area's are not that hard to really find once you have seen it, I watched someone's video about a week ago where he talked about how he must keep it a secret and only showed the ground but I was able to tell where he was based on the formations I did see. I think using the tools at your disposal is great. The area we were at was huge and barely did any exploring. If you go out there I suggest doing some wondering out in the desert.

[@j.ericswede7084]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Will do!

[@airsoft88]

What’s crazy is I grew up in the is area, still live in it, (tri cities/Moses lake) and have been walking over this stuff for YEARS!!!

[@milesnn]

Awesome adventure sweet finds cool area thank you

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I just love the landscape we have out here.

[@robertsnyder5149]

I found a beautiful irridescent pick opal on the Eaton ranch south of Ellensburg. I gave it to Mrs. Eaton andshe had a pendant made from it. It was quite stunning and looked like the opal that comes from Australia.

[@gabecarlson6888]

Do you know of a way to contact the Eaton's to get permission to rockhound on their land? I'm a freshman Geology major at CWU in Ellensburg and would love to find some opal to add to my rock/gem collection, thank you

[@LillianArch]

Loved the glances of basalt. Columbia River Basalt formation covers areas of Oregon and Washington usually 15 miles deep. Sarah with your sweet dog tied to her is so patient. Well trained dog!!

[@putupurnajaya6957]

Hi Friend..Its good aventure..I like the pink colour..Hope you success to your chanel..

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@paigelee6321]

Wow awesome finds, I’ve found rose quartz by the skookum lake not sure I spelled it right , thank you for sharing your adventures 😊❤️are the more orange pieces your finding is that carnelian,

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The redish pink rocks are opal. To the best of my knowledge there is no Carnelian in this area.

[@thomaspownall2989]

Lol @ Skookum, that's a phrase used in Alaska for something "Beefed Up" or "Solid"

[@paigelee6321]

It is a Indian name I’ve been told theres2 lake their

[@MarlainaAtkins]

That chunker is impressive! Beautiful material. Should polish on the lap very easily✨

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Yeah I'm looking forward to working with it.

[@mountainman38]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding It would be great to see what you've made with that big chunk!

[@lesteralexander789]

You are right The Rocker is a totally righteous dude very friendly I love his videos and I love your videos to Jared

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@lesteralexander789]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding unrelated question to the video. Have you ever seen Jasper so pure that it looks like opal

[@Victor47930]

My daughter, wife and I are new rock hounders. Where did you get that awesome bucket with a flat side, metal handle that's also padded???

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That farm bucket that you can get from a farm and feed store. The idea behind the flat back is that you can hang it up and like a goat can eat from it, and it won't move around, but it makes for the perfect rockhounding bucket. The handle is a garden hose that I added.

[@KatyDidRocks]

Could 2:30 be quartz crystals? Wow, such fun finds - hard to believe the area is called the "scablands." :D

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I wish we could find some quartz crystals out here but sadly all we have is agates, petrified wood and opal for the most part. Also tons of basalt.

[@KatyDidRocks]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding So what is your ID for that big one?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It's a very pure common opal. It's MOHs hardness is between a 5.5 and 6.

[@KatyDidRocks]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Wow, cool!

[@eitanengel8259]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding don't say sadly for not having agates and opal all i have is sand

[@yoopermann7942]

just subscribed to THE ROCKHUGGERs channel, have you ever tried/thought about making beads out of some of them smaller rocks? if you do do it is a chalange to do so as i found out!! great video!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The Rock Hugger is a solid guy. I haven't tired making beads out of the smaller rocks but I think that could be a fun use for them.

[@Anubis-hm7ro]

Thank you

[@frank-janvantriest1591]

Hi! Thank you for sharing this video! I watched it because I want to find out what to do with the crusty, or at least not-so-opally part of the rough. At some point, you say you cleaned out the calcite, but can you tell me with what substance you did that and how? I’m asking because I bought myself a lot of pink Andean Opal, and it contains a lot of brown/yellow stuff that runs pretty deep sometimes. When I put it to my flat lap, it becomes a sort of mud. However, this way of getting rid of the brown stuff costs also a lot of beautiful material. What would you advise me to do?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Well the first step when attempting to remove something from a rock or mineral is to identify what it is that you want to remove. In the case of calcite lots of mild acids can remove it such as vinegar.

[@chetalger873]

Wow, really nice stuff.

[@chetalger873]

There may be opalized petrified wood buried there. Maybe trees.

[@shelleyistevens]

Was this in grant county?

[@kimberlydlapp3441]

Will you be cutting that big piece parallel to the lines for a different pattern?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I might be doing that in the future.

[@aprilmccallum4336]

Omg that huge piece is beautiful already. I haven't finished the video yet but I hope you show them all cleaned up at the end. Do you have videos of some of the stuff you find all polished up? I'd really love to see that aventurine all polished.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Yeah its all really good stuff, on the main channel page I have a play list showing all the lapidary project videos.

[@stephanierocks8503]

What is your method for dissolving calcite?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I just use CLR.

[@thomaspownall2989]

I've used Vinegar, CLR, and Citric Acid. They are as potent as I listed them.

[@ryasnipes6068]

How did you dissolve the calcite off?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I used distilled white vinegar on these.

[@ryasnipes6068]

Thank you for your prompt reply! Although I have collected rocks for most of my life I am new to the tumbling process. I love watching your videos. I have recently acquired green quartz and pink opal stones and a rock tumbler. Wish me luck!

[@Mmoose74]

Well the wind isn't blasting, so I know you aren't in Ellensburg Washington.

[@steveyounger465]

Is this opalized wood?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I believe the larger chunk that Sara found could be for a number of reasons but the small pink stuff is not. Opal is just silica, Opalized wood is when the silica moves into a chunk of wood replacing the organic wood with spheres of silicon dioxide. It can also just fill voids, cracks in rocks, and seams.

[@kimberlydlapp3441]

I had found some roadside in Wapato 💕

[@gunnarnizzler]

Hi Kimberly! I live in Wapato! What road were you on that you found opal?

[@kimberlydlapp3441]

@@gunnarnizzler it was along North Track Road next to Hwy 97 and the railroad tracks just after Parker headed towards Wapato. When I pulled over to park to find rocks, police has asked me what I was doing. I told him I was rockhounding and he looked at me funny and drove away. I found flint/chert too. The pink that I found was a pastel and when I broke it open, there was a vibrant hot pink. Too bad it recently snowed. I'm not sure whether it was brought in from elsewhere or when digging the road brought it to the surface. Good luck hounding!

[@gunnarnizzler]

@@kimberlydlapp3441 awesome! Thanks! I was actually thinking you might say track road! I’m gonna check that out soon!

[@RootsRocks]

Ps I have your dogs doppelgänger. Lol minus the white- mine has slight smaller white spot on chest. ❤

[@joshpearson1656]

Great video. Is any of the material you collected good for tumbling or polishing? Keep up the great work. Always appreciate fellow Washington rockhound videos!!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I don't think I would tumble this stuff but I do plan on doing some polishing with it.

[@kristaforrest6631]

I have been rock hounding for a few years off an on but yesterday I found a little something that has stumped me not sure what it is wondering what your thoughts might be?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You can always shot me an email with some photos and I might be able to help.

[@thomaspownall2989]

"That big ones not going to cut it". But I bet You Cut it. 🤣

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Hahaha maybe someday I will!

[@therockdad1]

Wicked good stuff man

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@conniemarie333]

I believe that's hyalite opal..the clear opal at the beginning

[@mattthomas1547]

The dog is a baby and you're a good daddy.

[@thomaspownall2989]

I have a rock I Can't identify yet. It's an emerald green, and red speckled crystal of some sort. It's a vein, has what looks like Potch on top and bottom, definitely white. But the green is insane. I'm scared to work with it. Yeah it's from Oregon

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You can always drop me an email with some photos and I can see what I can do to help you identify your find.

[@karenhill9912]

I want to go hunting there with me sometime

[@KatyDidRocks]

Is Laika named after the Russian space dog?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

She sure is but I have no plans as of right now to send her into orbit.

[@KatyDidRocks]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding That's good!

[@veggiesarefruits]

At 3:05, I'm pretty sure that's carnelian.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

All of the things I showed here ended up being opal. However the area does have some carnelian to be found.

[@mariahkimble3039]

Can you share the location of this one?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

In the start of video I mention how you can find it.

[@EmilioExploring]

Lots of cool info :)

[@nissmopwer]

That big one rose quartz?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The big one is opalized wood.

[@nissmopwer]

That was my second guess at the end when I saw it cut

[@paigelee6321]

Happy Thanksgiving 🍁

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@Kerrsartisticgifts]

Ever seen Michigan Rocks channel? I think that you two would really appreciate each other and maybe do a collaboration for the viewers.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I do like and watch Robs channel, I would welcome working with him.

[@smifnwess93]

I want a good Massachusetts rhodonite video from ya 🥇🥇

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I would love to come out there some day.

[@shellieshannon9618]

I have 3 solid egg shaped rocks that are pink opal

[@NUGGETSHOOTER]

Very cool video

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@user-ARK1547]

Beware of rattlesnake season 🪱.

[@lamancha7066]

You guys are so lucky you get to stop on rural roads and highways, not in CA since cops and highway patrol have a 21 ticket quota is an easy ticket if people stop on rural roads or highways and if is not an emergency you are busted.

[@butchmilk2972]

Very good ✝️😊✡️

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you.

[@SassSafras]

re watching

[@SassSafras]

nice colors, had to re watch cause didnt realize blue light filter is automatic when u turn on my chromebook

[@SassSafras]

haha was just thinking to myself, what are our children going to do with all our rocks when theyre passed down? Going to have to buy a connex or 2 to to pass down with them lol.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Sometimes round two is better! :)

[@deborahduthie4519]

Good fun but why do you call the Pink Opal, opal?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Well it is Opal and it is pink in color. I'm not quite sure what else I can say on that as far as why I'm call it that.

[@douglasholden3169]

yes! keep asking myself? did we meet at Hansen briefly? Now this video yours too coo; thinking small stuff, WOW NICE ONE mmHmm yeah you were looking for pieces small and three minutes in like 2:22 hut hut blamo Bam! oh my Opals! Central Washington 😮 nice 3 minutes in, less Rockhounds Sublime hunting secret spot like, Hansen was in 1991 good eye nice flakes and Plunkers dang! uhhuh 10 pound Opal now find us scarce is precious but . .... maybe 410 mmm a limb..😊 yaeuuh huh amazing. Hansen's Amethysty Scepter found near active border of the upper claim, almost verbatim caption, Garret Romain 1st edition 2nd shows in color that my handsome phantoming you seen it in person at maybe feels Met you two briefly one summer happy if we did great vibes thank you - Hansen 2019 nah? ya and the bigger one- oh scepters Hansen 2006- 2007 Peace pure in your videos or ore are arr golden, you guys uh two one yes finish this mmm video myself great is this vivivideo I love agh ya Central peace again pure ite tons wash gold ah nah Pink oh pass hi bye buy no no not for haha happy hounding wow🎉 yo

[@donnyowens6053]

Looks more like agate

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

What makes you think that? I'm 100% sure in my identification of these.