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Post by velodromed on Apr 19, 2023 15:14:38 GMT -5
We found this by a freshly dug hole, it was coated in calcite and limestone type white stuff and figured it was quartz. I used 20% vinegar to remove the white stuff and put it in the small tumbler with a bunch of small agates to clean it up. I clicked on it after a few days and I’m glad I did because it was already worn smooth. So it’s a fairly soft rock, leading me to think it’s not quartz after all. It doesn’t really show up in the picture, but it is a very light bluish-gray and, now that it’s smooth, does have quite a bit of that chatoyancy I associate with feldspar. Could it be that? I see it all the time around here in a salmon color but never like this. Any ideas?
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Post by jasoninsd on Apr 19, 2023 18:24:19 GMT -5
Maybe Quartzite??
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Post by velodromed on Apr 19, 2023 20:44:02 GMT -5
Quartzite is pretty hard, this isn’t so much. It also shimmers in a way that quartz and quartzite do not. Some variation of feldspar is constantly in the back of my mind. I’m going to finish polishing it in the vibe…started a bit ago actually.
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Post by jasoninsd on Apr 19, 2023 20:48:51 GMT -5
Quartzite is pretty hard, this isn’t so much. It also shimmers in a way that quartz and quartzite do not. Some variation of feldspar is constantly in the back of my mind. I’m going to finish polishing it in the vibe…started a bit ago actually. Well shoot. I can't be right ALL the time...expectations would be way too high if that were the case! LOL Swing and a miss for me!! LOL
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2023 20:55:45 GMT -5
Looks like quartz.
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ashley
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2023
Posts: 914
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Post by ashley on Apr 19, 2023 23:14:42 GMT -5
Looks like quartzite to me too.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2023 23:47:42 GMT -5
Looks like quartzite to me too. Looks like quartz, but not quartzite. Quartzite is very granular like a sugar cube. This is not granular and so looks more like common quartz.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 19, 2023 23:58:38 GMT -5
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Post by velodromed on Apr 20, 2023 6:49:05 GMT -5
Looks like quartzite to me too. Looks like quartz, but not quartzite. Quartzite is very granular like a sugar cube. This is not granular and so looks more like common quartz. It does rather look like quartz and is not granular at all. It’s not acting like quartz that I’ve polished before. Seems so much softer. I also can’t pick up the chatoyancy flash that it has with my phone camera. It probably is just quartz though. I’m curious to see how it polishes up over the coming days…
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ashley
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2023
Posts: 914
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Post by ashley on Apr 20, 2023 7:53:20 GMT -5
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Post by velodromed on Apr 20, 2023 8:07:06 GMT -5
Here is an example of quartzite. You can see the granular texture. That is a really cool chunk of quartzite! Does Quartzsite look a bit like rhyolite at all? Will it sometimes have other crystals in it, such as larger quartz crystals or mica crystals?
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 20, 2023 18:09:10 GMT -5
Here is an example of quartzite. You can see the granular texture. That is a really cool chunk of quartzite! Does Quartzsite look a bit like rhyolite at all? Will it sometimes have other crystals in it, such as larger quartz crystals or mica crystals? Ryolites can have various different looks. Even rainforest jasper is actually a rhyolite, not a jasper. Have never seen any rhyolite that has larger crystals in it, although it can have various inclusions, which is likely from the thick, sticky lava picking up and mixing with other minerals as it flows. In some cases minerals can form in the voids afterward dissolved in water that works its way in to the voids. This is known as amygdaloidal rhyolite. Here are some examples of some rhyolites I collected here in Nevada.
Porphyry (2) by James Sloane, on Flickr
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Post by velodromed on Apr 21, 2023 4:49:53 GMT -5
That is a really cool chunk of quartzite! Does Quartzsite look a bit like rhyolite at all? Will it sometimes have other crystals in it, such as larger quartz crystals or mica crystals? Ryolites can have various different looks. Even rainforest jasper is actually a rhyolite, not a jasper. Have never seen any rhyolite that has larger crystals in it, although it can have various inclusions, which is likely from the thick, sticky lava picking up and mixing with other minerals as it flows. In some cases minerals can form in the voids afterward dissolved in water that works its way in to the voids. This is known as amygdaloidal rhyolite. Here are some examples of some rhyolites I collected here in Nevada.
Porphyry (2) by James Sloane, on Flickr Wow!! Those are absolutely beautiful. Thank you!
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