Wonderstone is a banded Rhyolite made of red, white, orange, yellow and/or pink rings or patterns. Rhyolite is a high silica rich volcanic rock that has a low specific heat and heat capacity. During its ascension towards the surface, it cools more quickly, however there is also the presence of Iron and Magnesium in the lava that has a different heat capacity: this created cycles of crystallization as it moves from a liquid towards a solid, and depositing rings of Iron and/or magnesium along the way: Iron Oxides for the rusty reds, oranges, and yellows, and Magnesium oxides often make the pinks.
Pieces generally range from 1" to 5" in size. Often those with a very ugly but solid exterior have some of the best patterns inside. They are excellent for lapidary, especially for getting twins and pairs for different projects. Polish is usually moderate to good. Some pieces with more porosity/chalky texture are not great for polishing and it takes skill and time to separate by texture, hardness, and density. If you want the best, it will take longer to grade them out one by one—sometimes best just to cut them, as some make up for patterns over texture variance.
Metaphysical: Third-eye Chakra — Insight, meditation, understanding, tranquility, creativity, imagination.
| Quality | Size | 1<20 lbs | 20<100 lbs | 100<500 lbs | 500<1000 lbs | 1000 lbs | TON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mine Run Raw | Mixed | $6.00 | $4.80 | $4.20 | $3.60 | $3.00 | $2.40 |
| Mine Run Clean | Mixed | $7.20 | $5.76 | $5.04 | $4.32 | $3.60 | $2.88 |
| B Quality | Mixed | $4.20 | $3.36 | $2.94 | $2.52 | $2.10 | $1.68 |
| Small 0.5-1.5 in | $4.80 | $3.84 | $3.36 | $2.88 | $2.40 | $1.92 | |
| Med 1.5-2 in | $5.10 | $4.08 | $3.57 | $3.06 | $2.55 | $2.04 | |
| Large 2-4+ in | $5.40 | $4.32 | $3.78 | $3.24 | $2.70 | $2.16 | |
| A Quality | Mixed | $10.20 | $8.16 | $7.14 | $6.12 | $5.10 | $4.08 |
| Small 0.5-1.5 in | $10.80 | $8.64 | $7.56 | $6.48 | $5.40 | $4.32 | |
| Med 1.5-2 in | $11.40 | $9.12 | $7.98 | $6.84 | $5.70 | $4.56 | |
| Large 2-4+ in | $12.00 | $9.60 | $8.40 | $7.20 | $6.00 | $4.80 |