North Edwards Travertine Onyx

This is a Desert Tortoise near the Travertine Onyx site. This site is adjacent to the California Desert Tortoise Preserve. The Desert tortoise is the state reptile of California. It is an endangered species and even approaching one can kill it! If a tortoise is alarmed he may urinate and this water loss can kill the tortoise in the harsh desert climate.

If you see a tortoise, please enjoy it at a distance of at least 10 feet.

This location near North Edwards, California produces some beautiful multicolored travertine onyx. It is partially silicified and it cuts and polishes very nicely. The best material has alternating bands of red and white, but there are also green, yellow, brown, and black bands. The chalky white coating fluoresces green under short wave ultraviolet light. It is found in fairly large pieces and is good for bookends, clock faces, and other large pieces as well as jewelry. The material is scattered liberally around the grounds of the site. You can get larger and better pieces by digging. Dig in one of the existing holes for the best chance of success. I finally got a cyber map of the location and it is below. It's a little rough but accurate. Of course, you can always come to one of our meetings to find out how to get there as well!

Here is a raw block of travertine so you know what you are looking for. Pieces may be entirely covered with this white crumbly coating so chip a corner off to see what you have.

 And this is a cut slab, not yet polished but moistened.

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