2 Cobaltite preformed slabs and one 13.5 oz chunk, rare, natural silver ore from Ontario, polishes bright silver (rs12831)

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Our shop is on the internet, Designsbyshirl.com. We are located in Windsor, California, selling lapidary preformed slabs and specimen chunks, also cleaned ancient Greek and Roman coins ready for jewelry.

Lot of 2 preformed (sanded and shaped) rough lapidary slabs and 1 Cobaltite chunk. ready to finish, all natural, No ugly fractures or pits. My pictures are good but the slabs still look better when you see them in hand. The background squares are 10 x 10 mm (25 mm to an inch) and the dime in picture is 18 mm. The dimensions are listed below. If you need further info on any slab let us know what it is.

Origin: Cobalt mine, Ontario, Canada

Descriptions:

2 Cobaltite (gray and black) preformed slabs, rectangle and oblong shape, natural rare material. 14 x 30 x 5 mm, 63 ct, and 15 x 20 x 5 mm, 55 ct. Keep as specimens or cut for beautiful cabs that will have a mirror shine, check out one I finished with a mirror polish, it's in my last picture (glass like polish in real life). 1 Black plastic stand is included. Not enough silver ore in these specimens to melt down, it would take a lot to make an ounce of silver.

One 13 .5 ounce rough Cobaltite chunk. Natural, great piece for cutting into slabs and cabs or keep as a specimen. One side cut, shows saw marks, finish for a really nice specimen. The cut side also shows 1 fracture line. Approx size: irregular shape, 2 3/4 x 1 3/4, 13.5 oz

The Cobalt silver rush of 1903 happened when huge veins of silver were discovered by railway workers. By 1905 a full-scale silver rush was underway, and the town of Cobalt, Ontario sprang up to serve as its hub. By 1908 Cobalt produced 9% of the world's silver. However, the ore ran out fairly rapidly, and most of the mines were closed by the 1930s. There were several small revivals, in World War II and again in the 1950s, but both petered out and today there is no active mining in the area. In total, the Cobalt area mines produced 460 million ounces of silver.

My preformed (shaped and sanded) rough slabs are small to medium size. I cut out most or all ugly looking fractures and pits. I will try and note anything unusual left in a slab (druzy, small pits, natural sealed fractures, etc.). I sand all sides of a slab with 180 to 260 diamond grit so they are are ready for you to finish with a finer grit and polish or they are nice enough to keep as a specimen asis.

A lot of effort went into giving you a product that will make it easier for you to finish, or keep it as a nice looking natural specimen. Preforming really cuts down the time it will take you to finish the slab, just think "no pits or fractures to cut out". Contact us if you have any special requests, for a small charge we will re-shape our slabs or cut special slabs to your specifications.

FINISHING Preformed slabs: I try and get all or most of the pits and open fractures removed and the front and back smoothed to produce a more acceptable slab for you to finish for jewelry or specimen. My recommendation for finishing these slabs is to start with 600 diamond grit, if 600 doesn't remove all grit lines on the slab, work your way back and use (320, or 240) and then 600 to remove all grit lines, finish with 1000 grit before polishing. For extra help I have created several posts that show how I create cabs, see my website blog on Designsbyshirl.com.

COMBINING: Do not combine with other items unless approved, shipping cost will need to be adjusted.

RETURNING: 100% money back return, you can return this item for any reason, buyer pays for return postage unless it's our fault. See our return policy for more info. You must contact us before returning any item.

PICTURES: Pictures are taken wet and dry, all are wet except the last 2 with 10x10 mm background grid, wet ones bring out the colors you should see in a finished product, dry ones may show imperfections, small fractures or pits. Any imperfections that I think should be noted will be described in the items description above.

CAMERA LIGHT: I use a full spectrum 45 w light bulb - photography photo CFL 5500K. It's a daylight balanced pure white light.

SALES TAX: Etsy will collect sales tax if your state has a tax law requiring it, it will be added on at checkout, Etsy will send it to your state.

INSURANCE: Your package is insured if it is lost. We are not responsible if tracking shows it was delivered to your address..