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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 6, 2013 15:55:09 GMT -5
EDIT - Positively IDed independantly by two knowledable persons. Results here: linkPicked this up somewhere, probably an estate sale. It's a beautiful blue/violet, and has a lovely shimmer/schiller to it. One face is polished, and a lot of cracks throughout, but is not crumbly. The back side Since I didn't find it, I have no location ID. It does not scratch with a knife. Does it look familiar to anyone? Thanks!
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Post by tandl on Sept 6, 2013 17:49:38 GMT -5
im thinking - lepidolite
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 6, 2013 17:55:15 GMT -5
Nope, not lepidolite. That is soft and opaque, this is much harder (will not scratch with a knife) and is translucent. IF one were to hold this up to the light, you can see through it in the thinner spots. Not so with lepidolite.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 6, 2013 21:56:47 GMT -5
Anybody have any ideas? Sapphire? Benitoite? I've never seen anything quite like it.
There may be one fracture free area that is small big enough to get a little cab out of. Just wondered if I should leave it as a specimen of - what?
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 6, 2013 22:31:39 GMT -5
Not Benitoite. That forms in triangular crystals and is never found in massive form. Possibly Lapis, but I don't think so.
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 6, 2013 23:18:19 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 23:31:41 GMT -5
If that was not navy blue I would easily have said it was quartz. Imagine that same rock pink or amethyst colored. Deal. Right?
Does quartz ever come naturally in a similar blue?
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Post by jakesrocks on Sept 6, 2013 23:39:07 GMT -5
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 7, 2013 8:07:03 GMT -5
It could be quartz, but not sure yet. I'll get some more pics taken.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 7, 2013 20:03:21 GMT -5
Not Benitoite. That forms in triangular crystals and is never found in massive form. Possibly Lapis, but I don't think so. I was kidding about the benitoite and sapphire... Just trying to think of blue stones/minerals. It's not sodalight or lapis. Don, I checked your links (blue lapidary materials and the QZ page), but nothing really clicked. This has noe of the white associated with quartz. I came across something called cordierite (iolite?) that looked the closest, but this rock does not have dichroic properties (that I can ascertain). I still have no idea where it came from, I'm thinking maybe my neighbor threw it over the fence just to mess with me - just kidding. Anyway, here's another slew of pics I took today, some of them backlit. These first ones are of the faced side. This is a flat, polished surface. It only has the illusion of being uneven And the rough back side, backlit Well, If I can't find out what it is here, I'll take it with me to the next show I go to that has a gem ID. But still, thanks for your help! Jean
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Sept 7, 2013 23:31:24 GMT -5
Purpleite-just kidding. Mohs6flourite-not. Amethyst around here has rusty cracks in it. I would guess amethyst.
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Post by vegasjames on Sept 8, 2013 8:14:50 GMT -5
Iolite can be that color.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2013 12:56:34 GMT -5
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 9, 2013 20:11:36 GMT -5
Thanks, guys, for taking a stab at it. I'll let you know when I take it to a show for ID. I probably have several rocks/minerals/stones that I need to remember to bring with me.
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Post by apesandmonkeys on Sept 22, 2013 22:33:30 GMT -5
My first thought was Iolite....
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Sept 23, 2013 11:31:54 GMT -5
Either way,its awesome!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2013 18:09:28 GMT -5
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Post by Pat on Sept 24, 2013 21:15:51 GMT -5
Looks like a quartz/amethyst to me. Very pretty!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 23, 2014 1:37:24 GMT -5
FINALLY got this one positively IDed. Took it to my rock club's (sometimes annual) show earlier this month. They had some folks there with their testing equipment, and it was confirmed to be iolite! Whoo hoo! Just one of the mysteries of life solved...
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