Wyoming Jade Specimen
Gemstone: Wyoming Jade (nephrite)
Location: Wind River, Wyoming
Type: Surface Ventifact (windslick)
Date Found: 1958
Weight: 15 lbs
Size: 32 * 15 * 10 cm.
Exterior: 70% rind with 30% color exposed
Color: Uniform Green/Apple/Emerald Green interior with Sand Brown rind
Transparency: Translucent
Texture: Extremely tight grain
History: The jade windslick was found by a miner in 1958. It was purchased by Richard Gordner in 1965 at the National Gem and Mineral Show in Yakima, WA, for an estimated $450. The jade specimen was sold to Mark Oros in 2018 by Richard Gordner’s heirs.
Richard Gordner was a residential contractor from 1946-1960. He became interested in rockhounding in the late 1950’s and bought the ViBroLap patents in 1960. He was a chief machinist in the Navy from 1937 to 1945. Because of his mechanical background, he made several changes to the VibroLap. Gordner made the grinding and polish plate round rather than square and made the plate reversible so both sides were usable. He sold the VibroLap business to Highland Park in 1969, as it was a natural compliment to their saws. Richard continued buying and selling lapidary rough and specimens to private collectors. He sold specimens to The Lizzadro Museum, The Smithsonian, and private collections in Switzerland (Seiber). He was featured on the cover of Lapidary Journal (date unknown).
Links to related information:
www.palagems.com/wyoming-jades-revisited/
www.wsgs.wyo.gov/minerals/gemstones
usgeologymorphology.com/wind-river-canyon-p4.html
Gemstone: Wyoming Jade (nephrite)
Location: Wind River, Wyoming
Type: Surface Ventifact (windslick)
Date Found: 1958
Weight: 15 lbs
Size: 32 * 15 * 10 cm.
Exterior: 70% rind with 30% color exposed
Color: Uniform Green/Apple/Emerald Green interior with Sand Brown rind
Transparency: Translucent
Texture: Extremely tight grain
History: The jade windslick was found by a miner in 1958. It was purchased by Richard Gordner in 1965 at the National Gem and Mineral Show in Yakima, WA, for an estimated $450. The jade specimen was sold to Mark Oros in 2018 by Richard Gordner’s heirs.
Richard Gordner was a residential contractor from 1946-1960. He became interested in rockhounding in the late 1950’s and bought the ViBroLap patents in 1960. He was a chief machinist in the Navy from 1937 to 1945. Because of his mechanical background, he made several changes to the VibroLap. Gordner made the grinding and polish plate round rather than square and made the plate reversible so both sides were usable. He sold the VibroLap business to Highland Park in 1969, as it was a natural compliment to their saws. Richard continued buying and selling lapidary rough and specimens to private collectors. He sold specimens to The Lizzadro Museum, The Smithsonian, and private collections in Switzerland (Seiber). He was featured on the cover of Lapidary Journal (date unknown).
Links to related information:
www.palagems.com/wyoming-jades-revisited/
www.wsgs.wyo.gov/minerals/gemstones
usgeologymorphology.com/wind-river-canyon-p4.html
