dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
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Post by dtcmor on Sept 30, 2006 22:05:21 GMT -5
A friend of mine from work recently came back from a trip to her gold mining claims in Arizona. She brought me some rocks that she thought I might be interested in, but has no clue as to what they are. I have done some searching but am only able to make some guesses. Can anyone help me ID these? The first ones appear to be some kind of opalized petrified wood. They are very smooth and shiny in the rough. These don't have much shine and have a layered pattern. This last one resembles marble or granite with purple and pink bands mixed into it.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 30, 2006 23:31:03 GMT -5
First pic looks like massive quartz of the sort often associated with gold finds. Second pic looks like jasper. Third looks to me like massive quartz with inclusions maybe to add the color.....mel
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Post by gemkoi on Oct 2, 2006 13:07:19 GMT -5
Yup, Mels got it. The second maybe Rholite, which often gets confused as jasper. And theres allot of Rhoylite in AZ.
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desertdweller
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2006
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Post by desertdweller on Oct 2, 2006 14:37:56 GMT -5
Quartz in the first picture, the second I would guess the red is a jasper and the banded maybe a mix of a couple different things, the third looks like quartz with little flakes of mica, is it sparkly when it's in the sunlight? Looks like its a little bit softer than most quartz. Where in Arizona did she get the rocks? Just curious.
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stefan
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Post by stefan on Oct 12, 2006 12:24:54 GMT -5
THird one looks like Lipidolite (a mica) very weathered- it is often a very purple to pink color-
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
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Post by dtcmor on Oct 12, 2006 23:12:25 GMT -5
Thanks all, I almost forgot that I posted these. Desertdweller - The lady that gave them to me really didn't say what part of AZ these came from. She did mention something about the Phoenix area. It was the first time they had gone to see their new gold mining claims. She did say that she picked them out of a dry wash area, and that they were on the surface and not buried. In the first picture, the whiter stone on the left appears to have a very dark center. I was wondering if it would be banded if cut? The third stone very closely resembles marble, except the makeup of the grains is much smaller - almost like granite but still loose like marble. It is not solid, but more like a flaky sandstone appearance. The purple, pink and cream colors are all of the same make-up and composite.
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stefan
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Member since January 2005
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Post by stefan on Oct 13, 2006 12:09:00 GMT -5
THird Could be Lipidolite then- A lithium Mica- Your discription fits perfectly- Not great to tumble- but cabs up pretty well
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Oct 13, 2006 12:19:06 GMT -5
Thanks Stefan, I am looking to buy a Workforce soon and that piece is large enough to get 5-6 cuts out of. The colors sould make for beautiful pieces.
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
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Post by spacegold on Oct 14, 2006 14:36:31 GMT -5
Another possibility on the first one is onyx, particularly if agate or jasper will sctratch it.
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dtcmor
freely admits to licking rocks
Back to lickin' rocks again!
Member since May 2006
Posts: 898
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Post by dtcmor on Oct 14, 2006 19:51:46 GMT -5
Spacegold - The first two rocks are extremely hard. They scratch almost everything I have except my sapphires and rubies.
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